Starfighters of Adumar: Star Wars Legends

Star Wars Legends: Novels

by Aaron Allston

The aces of Wraith Squadron return in another thrilling adventure!

The X-wing fighter pilots of Wraith Squadron have earned their reputation as the Rebel Alliance’s ultimate strike force by overwhelming enemies with their rapid-fire assaults. But now they are about to embark on a diplomatic mission that will prove to be even more hazardous than all-out combat. . . .

The neutral world of Adumar has decided to pick a side in the war to control the galaxy. Delegates from both the New Republic and the Empire have been invited to Adumar, and each camp will be given a chance to plead its government’s case. But there is one small catch: since the Adumari prize military skill above all else, they insist that both delegations be composed exclusively of fighter pilots.

For pilot Wedge Antilles and his company, it’s an unfamiliar exercise in diplomacy—and one that’s filled with unexpected peril. For once they arrive, the squad is challenged by Adumar’s fierce warriors and attacked by Imperial assassins bent on eliminating all competition. But these challenges pale in comparison to the threat posed by a rogue Republic agent . . . one who is determined to win Adumar’s allegiance once and for all—even if it costs the X-wing pilots their lives.

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Space Opera, Science Fiction Fantasy, Space

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 1999

About the author

Aaron Dale Allston was an American game designer and author of many science fiction books, notably Star Wars novels. His works as a game designer include game supplements for role-playing games, several of which served to establish the basis for products and subsequent development of TSR's Dungeons & Dragons game setting Mystara. His later works as a novelist include those of the X-Wing series: Wraith Squadron, Iron Fist, Solo Command, Starfighters of Adumar, and Mercy Kill. He wrote two entries in the New Jedi Order series: Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream and Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand. Allston wrote three of the nine Legacy of the Force novels: Betrayal, Exile, and Fury, and three of the nine Fate of the Jedi novels: Outcast, Backlash, and Conviction.

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sort of like a reunion for the Rogue Squadron, Starfighters of Adumar is an enjoyable space opera yarn that continues the saga of the other X-Wing novels. Is it the best of the series? No, definitely not; however, those who have read and loved the interstellar dogfighting tales of Wedge, Iella, and Corran will probably like this original finale. After reading this, I'm curious as to how Mercy Kill will be.

[CS · Rating 4 out of 5]

“If we act like the Empire, we become the Empire”
Wedge, Tycho, Hobbie, and Wes have been sent to the world of Adumar, to see if they will join the New Republic. The Adumari, isolated people who have recently been found, adore pilots and welcome the four with open arms. But the negotiations quickly get tricky: the Empire is also there, the planet isn’t united under one government, the natives adore deathly challenges, and Wedge’s long lost love, Iella, is there under cover.
NOTE: I listened to the audiobook.

I Liked:
This novel is different than any of the other X-Wing novels, either Allston or Stackpole’s. Firstly, it deals primarily with Wedge and, to a lesser extent, only four other of the pilots: Tycho, Hobbie, and Wes. Secondly, the tone is completely different. There still is plenty of starfighters and dogfights, but the story is firmly placed on diplomacy and the strange culture of Adumar.
I personally enjoyed a story almost 100% about Wedge. The guy is pretty interesting, and I liked learning more about him. Also, kudos to Allston for cleaning up the romantic subplots! I positively adored how Allston wrote Wedge and Iella, the conflicts surrounding Wedge being with Qui, and the eventual pairing (even a *gasp* hint of sex in a Star Wars book!).
The humor, as always, is superb. Wes Janson pretty much rules the roost in this regard, though the others get a fair portion (though I do have a complaint about how the audiobook handles this, see below).
The story is interesting. I liked the change in pace and scenery, how Allston doesn’t try to create another superweapon or overlord for the Rogues/Wraiths to fight. Instead, he takes the New Republic to the next level: diplomacy, politics, hobnobbing with the big wigs. And he proves that it can be interesting!
Allston also doesn’t resort to making all the Imperials baddies. Sure, Wedge’s Imperial opposites are opponents, but Teren Rogriss is a complete subversion of that. Rogriss is strictly Imperial, but he has honor and doesn’t look forward to the betrayal he knows the Empire wants to perform. Not to fond of what happens to him, but at least he isn’t your bang, bang shoot ‘em up Imperial officer.

I Didn’t Like:
The audiobook totally ruined one of the big jokes of this book. Allston is a master of humor, which makes him stand out from many other authors (who are rather muted). One of the jokes was where Wedge talks about getting women’s clothing to escape undetected. One of his compatriots refuses to comply. After the chapter break, we return to see all of them in women’s dresses, the guys complaining (a classic Gilligan’s Cut). This joke is totally obliterated from the novel. No wonder I didn’t find the earlier audiobooks funny or clear—they probably took out key plot points and the humor!
People who liked the X-Wing series may not be as fond of this book. There is dogfighting, but the whole atmosphere and emphasis has changed (I liked it).
As I touched on above, I wasn’t fond of Rogriss’ ending. I won’t go into it, but I find it stereotypical (I’m sure you can guess).
There were enough new names, characters, and places that I tended to get a bit lost. I couldn’t remember the name of Wedge’s diplomat advisor, who Charisse (sp?) was, who were the Imperial pilots (hence why I didn’t refer to them by name), and who were the Adumari.

Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Invented Star Wars vernacular.
Pretty heavily implied that Wedge and Iella get it on.
Adumari consider challenges to the death an honor. Lots of challenges, dogfights, and the like.

Overall:
I think this book was a great way to close up the X-Wing series, this era in the Star Wars Expanded Universe and the Bantam license of Star Wars (this was the final book published under Bantam). It moves from pilots in continuous “modern warfare” with the Empire to a more diplomatic/political arena, ties up the romantic loose end (Wedge and Iella are one of the better couples out there imo), and generally has a fun time without being too serious. As long as you don’t mind the slight departure from the formula and seeing only from Wedge’s point of view, this book is for you. Just do me a favor. Stay away from the audiobook version. Anthony Heald is amazing, but the abridged format isn’t.

[Joshua Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty enjoyable read and a nice change of pace having only one point of view character. It added a lot of depth to the character of Wedge and gave him a lot more of personality. It was great to get to the bottom of the Wedge/Qwi/Iella storyline and also to see Wedge as a pilot, not fully as a leader.

SoA functions as a bottle episode book largely taking place in one succinct setting and is essentially Star Wars take on the Three Musketeers with Wedge, Tycho, Wes, and Janson serving in the Musketeer roles. It was a lot of fun seeing the four of them interact with each other without the other Rogues and Wraiths.

It was also a lot of fun seeing the lore intense and ruthless side of Wedge, in specific with regard to his dynamic with Tomer Darpen.

This has a lot of great political intrigue perfectly balanced with a well done take on what it is like (assumedly) to be in the middle of war. This really does function as a great piece of literature.

[LaShawna Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down, the most intentionally funny SW book ever. And considering that Allston wrote 3 before this, that's saying a lot. Allston has a very clear picture of the characters, and he draws them with incredible skill. One of the marks of a good humorist is that the humor comes not from jokes, but from the natural progression of the characters, and Allston is a master.

[Meggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

For 2020, I decided to reread (in publication order) all the Bantam-era Star Wars books that were released between 1991 and 1999; that shakes out to 38 adult novels and 5 anthologies of short stories & novellas.

This week’s focus: the fourth of Aaron Allston’s X-Wing books, Starfighters of Adumar.

SOME HISTORY:

During a panel at Jedi-Con in 2004, Aaron Allston revealed that he derived the name of the planet Adumar from Alexandre Dumas, the author of The Three Musketeers. He also alluded to similarities between the main characters of The Three Musketeers and the four X-wing pilots in Starfighters of Adumar; although there’s no direct correlations, I think that Wes Janson has some very Porthos-like qualities. (But while Wedge is the leader, he’s not a sad alcoholic with an evil ex like Athos.) Starfighters of Adumar made it to number seventeen on the New York Times paperback bestseller list for the week of August 29, 1999.

MY RECOLLECTION OF THE BOOK:

I loved this book. Allston’s humor skews more overtly silly in this one, but I thought it felt appropriate to the swashbuckling adventure that the Rogues were on.

A BRIEF SUMMARY:

Wedge Antilles and three of his fellow Rogues are sent to the neutral world of Adumar as diplomatic envoys. It appears the perfect assignment: the pilots are feted by a general populace that holds fighter pilots in high regard. But Wedge quickly realizes that things are not as they seem, and their exercise in diplomacy becomes filled with peril...

THE CHARACTERS:

If I, Jedi depicted Wedge Antilles in the midst of a quarter life crisis, by Starfighters of Adumar he's at a crossroads in both his personal and professional life. He's broken up with Qwi Xux, both of them realizing that they don't visualize a future with each other; he has no family left, and practically no friends outside of the Rogues. He's ready to leave for some needed time off when General Cracken manipulates him into becoming the diplomatic envoy to Adumar.

He quickly begins to question whether they would even want the Adumari in the New Republic. They're obsessed with honor, they have no regard for human life (their duels and feuds usually end with one or more party dead), and Wedge rightly worries that those two qualities wouldn't translate well into NR service. He tries to get the Adumari pilots to think about strategy and the effectiveness of simulations vs just outright killing your opponent, but he's fighting an uphill battle against entrenched beliefs. It doesn't help that their diplomatic liaison, Tomer Darpen, would prefer that they adopt the more bloodthirsty tactics of Turr Phennir and the other Imperials.

Wedge is also offered a chance to rekindle his relationship with Iella Wessiri--and indeed, that seems to be a key motivation behind this book. Solo Command wrapped up the Wraiths' arc; Isard's Revenge mostly concluded the Rogues'. But after the Thrawn campaign, it takes Wedge four long years and another relationship before things get sorted with Iella. I wouldn't say that romance is one of Allston's strengths, but I liked the understated, mature way that Wedge and Iella figured things out.

On Allston's now defunct FAQ page, he mentioned that people had questioned why Corran Horn wasn't a member of the diplomatic envoy. Fortunately there are multiple hypothetical answers to that! Corran probably was in command of Rogue Squadron during Tycho's absence; Corran might have been working on Jedi stuff; his son Valin Horn was born the same year as the mission to Adumar (13ABY). So take your pick.

But Wedge isn’t alone on this diplomatic mission: he brings Tycho Celchu, Wes Janson, and Derek “Hobbie” Klivian along with him. Tycho is the perfect second-hand man, steady and responsible. He’s gone through so much in his life--the destruction of Alderaan, his imprisonment on the Lusankya, the distrust he faced from the NR after his escape--yet as Janson so ably pointed out, he’s the only one in their quartet who has a happy, settled personal life.

Meanwhile, Wes and Hobbie are our main comic relief. You can tell that they are long-time friends, because they play off each other so well. The two of them toss zingers back and forth off each other for as long as Wedge will allow. Wes is the class clown, even when he’s challenging someone to a duel to protect Cheriss; Hobbie is more of a sad clown. Hobbie also gets some of my favorite scenes, in particular the bit during the gauntlet where they sneak onto the airbase.

The Cartann court gives them all nicknames, which Janson revels in. Janson is "the darling one," Tycho is "the doleful one," Hobbie is "the dour one," and Wedge is "the diligent one." (This all feels very à la Alexandre Dumas père to me.)

But their diplomatic mission would not be complete without support staff. Cheriss ke Hanadi is their local guide, the absolute best duelist in Cartann. She develops a crush on Wedge (understandable), tries to throw her life away for reasons of “honor,” and has her entire worldview upended when she learns that her fear of heights that held her back from becoming a pilot is just a chemical imbalance in her brain. She grows up a lot over the course of the book. We also meet Hallis Saper, the mission’s documentarian, who is imminently equipped for espionage and disinformation.

Our true villain in the book is actually not the Imperials, but their liaison/NR Intelligence boss, Tomer Darpen. Janson is familiar with him from his days with the Tierfon Yellow Aces, when he was super sleazy. He’s not gotten any better in the intervening years: he is completely opposed to Wedge questioning Adumari values, and repeatedly insists that the Rogues behave like their Imperial counterparts. After Wedge refuses to fly with Cartann’s forces against the other Adumari countries, Darpen essentially tries to have them assassinated.

On the Imperial side, Admiral Rogriss (previously seen in Solo Command) is having his own personal crisis. He knows that despite giving their word, the Imperials plan to devastate the planet if they side with the New Republic. But instead of interrogating his feelings on the matter, Rogriss just gets drunk. It’s ultimately up to Wedge to sway him away from the Imperial side and help Adumar in some small way.

ISSUES:

Compared to the other X-Wing books, Starfighters of Adumar stands alone. While it helps to be familiar with Wedge, Tycho, and the rest, I don’t think you necessarily need to have read all the Rogue and Wraith books to appreciate this one. But as a consequence of its stand-alone nature, the scale of the story feels much lesser compared to previous X-Wing books. In The Bacta War, Isard has taken over Thyferra, which has a stranglehold on the entire galaxy’s supply of bacta; in Solo Command, both the NR and the Imperials team up to take out Warlord Zsinj. But in SoA, we just deal with one small world--sure, it has loads of factories that could produce loads of proton torpedoes for either side, but it’s still just one world.

On the humor scale, SoA is perhaps excessively silly. The Adumari culture is feudalism dialed up to eleven: they’re obsessed with HONOR, they constantly fight duels like it’s 17th century France or 18th century Britain, they have funny accents (“Rayd Flayt” instead of “Red Flight”), and they love capes. This is perhaps too much silliness for some people, but I enjoyed it.

Wedge has great concern over killing the Adumari in flight actions--but during the penultimate battle, he shoots down a lot of them. They were just trying to kill him, and Wedge is acting to remove an unjust ruler, but it did strike me as a little sad that he ended up killing so many of them. (The moral predicaments of war, I guess.)

IN CONCLUSION:

To me, Starfighters of Adumar is a high point of the Bantam era. We really get to dig into Wedge's character, we get some great humor, we get a bonkers new society, and we get resolution to Wedge and Iella's relationship. I also enjoyed Tycho, Janson, and Hobbie getting their moment in the spotlight. (It is also very silly.)


Next up: the fifth Tales collection, Tales from the New Republic, edited by Peter Schweighofer and Craig Carey.

My YouTube review: https://youtu.be/RgnRu3JzFsQ

[Jonathan Furneaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book that made me a writer.
You can also read this review on my blog (which is formatted more nicely).
http://www.jonathanfurneaux.com/blog/...

Throughout my lifetime I’ve perhaps read forty or fifty books based in George Lucas’s Star Wars universe. The cannon of literature spanned a few hundred years of fictional history (until the extended canon was jettisoned by Disney executives), with several long-running series planned out by some seminal authors.

Of these, it was the X-Wing series that I most adored. Let me pitch them to you: these books contained exotic planets, hot-headed pilots, exquisitely-detailed dogfights, and plenty of emotional growth and complexity between the characters. There were lightsabers and aliens, sure, but often these books read just like a straightforward military drama with a space opera coating.

I have recommend Starfighters of Adumar by Aaron Allston, to many friends. The exchange will generally go like this:

Me: This is a great series! You should read this one, it’s my favourite.
Friend: Thanks! Is this the first book in the series?
Me: Of course not. It’s the ninth and last book, in a well-beloved series.
Friend: Oh…

Luckily, Starfighters of Adumar is a standalone story. You don’t need any knowledge of the rest of the books to understand it, and there isn’t even any Jedi or lightsabers in the story. So, why do I recommend a book that is perhaps the least Star Wars-y in the entire series?

The reason is, at its heart, despite the name and the cover, Starfighters of Adumar is not truly a book about starfighters. (A majority of the book doesn’t even take place in space). Instead, I would argue that it is a book about relationships. The very opening chapter doesn’t open with a dogfight, but rather with a restaurant date, and the main character needing to end his relationship with his girlfriend.

“She was beautiful and fragile and he could not count the number of times he had told her he loved her. But he had come here knowing that he had to hurt her very badly” (Allston, p.1).

That was a pretty confronting opening to a book that advertises itself with explosions on the front cover. Wedge, the protagonist, expects that he will need to break her heart, but instead she breaks up with him over the meal. It is a mutual agreement. They needed each other for a time, but they have both realised that all they truly feel for each other is affection.

“Wedge, when we came together I was a different woman…Wedge, I feel as though I inherited you. From a friend who passed away. You were her choice. I do not know if you would have been mine. I never had the chance to find out” (Allston, p.4).

I first read this book as a teenager, and while I was still coked up on hormones and dreaming of the perfect romance, a Star Wars book was able to, in a small way, dispel the fairytale notion that people remain the same throughout the course of a relationship. It needs to be said: Allston is a master of dialogue and character. His characters speak effortlessly for pages, their conversations ebbing and flowing from topic, and yet somehow driven towards a poignant conclusion at the end of the chapter. Starfighters of Adumar begins with Wedge losing perhaps one of the more solid people in his life, as he begins to search for someone who he can spend the rest of his life with.

If I were to identify a second major theme in the novel, I would simply say that the novel addresses the dark side of fame. Wedge is tasked with being a political presence on Adumar, a newly discovered planet that produces weapons. It is a planet that idolises star pilots, and Wedge is one of the best star pilots there is.

However, Allston chose this particular premise, I feel, because it allowed him to delve into the issues with fame and fandom. Wedge and his team initially somewhat enjoys the praise lavished on them. It quickly becomes apparent, however, that the cons of fame quickly outweigh the benefits. Wedge and his team are followed by a journalist who documents their movements, they are soon unable to travel freely without being mobbed, Wedge finds himself having to uncomfortably disengage from the romantic advances of a local, and his actions are consistently misinterpreted by everyone who oogles him from afar.

It is a joy to read how Wedge tries to outmaneuver the society trying to constrain him. Everyone has an expectation of how he should behave, and Wedge quickly grows tired of it, and has to strike out a path for himself. I’ve always wanted to be an author, but I think here Allston has cleverly tucked away advice about the perils of being in the public eye. Popularity quickly shifts. Fame can turn sour. There is a simple honour in being unrecognised on the street.

It is difficult to say much more without spoiling some of the best moments of the series. Simply put, in Starfighters of Adumar, Allston has expertly balanced many moving parts. His story, as mentioned before, is set against a backdrop of war and fame, while Wedge is internally determining who he is, when he isn’t fighting.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the humour. The novel uses its characters and their personalities to great effect.

“Oh, stop worrying, Wedge.” Janson’s grin was infectious. “It’s obvious they adore you. You could throw up all over yourself and they’d love it. By nightfall they’d all be doing it. They’d call it the ‘Wedge Purge.’ They’d be eating different-coloured foods just to add variety.” Wedge felt his stomach lurch. He half turned to glare accusingly at Tycho. “I thought maybe you’d be able to do what I never could. Get [Janson] up to an emotional age of fourteen, maybe fifteen” (Allston, p.33).

While Wedge’s desire for love is thoroughly explored throughout the novel, his camaraderie and banter with the other characters is really what ties the whole novel together. Despite whatever circumstances they are in, Wedge and his team inevitably find the time to dish out dry humour at the expense of some other poor character.

For awhile, I wanted to send these thoughts to Aaron Allston, to let him know how much his novel impacted me as a young person. When I finally decided that I should send this to him, I found out that he passed away six years ago, aged 53. I wish I had thought to write this article just a few years earlier, so that he could have read how much I appreciated his craft. He was a man with perhaps one of the greatest influences on my literary tastes. My debut novel (Lessons from the Wreckage) was heavily inspired by his work. And yet his life is summarised on a Wikipedia page that’s 800-words long.

Instead, I will have to be satisfied with this: you can find a copy of the book second hand, and cheap. You can still buy it on Amazon, as an audiobook or for Kindle. You may not particularly like Star Wars, but if you are someone who loves fiction with biting dialogue, action, and well-defined characters, then perhaps you can appreciate Allston alongside me. Even though he won’t be heralded as a powerhouse of fiction by many, I still find myself reminiscing about the half-forgotten teenage lessons I learned on Adumar.

[Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wedge Antilles as the lead of this book was a strong and bold creative choice from Aaron Allston and feels like something he has been building up towards ever since his first novel of the series. With Tycho, Wes, and Hobbie alongside him, the Fab Four as I’ve seen some call them, make for a continuously joyous read with some great chemistry and humour between them all, but also deep-rooted care, affection, and history. I also love how the arc begun for Wedge in the first Wraith Squadron book comes full circle, him and Iella finally together. Very satisfying and heartwarming.

Adumar is a crazy fun planet. So wildly different and unique, and its insane culture leads to so many fun stories, as well as a really complex yet easy to follow and continuously exciting and intriguing political intrigue.

Some amazing starfighter battles here, and I will say, Allston outdoes himself yet again, managing to write exciting and captivating battles I not only followed along with, but really enjoyed at times. There is a lot of fun action in this book, and a lot enhanced by the underlying story behind these battles and fights, too.

As much as I miss the ensemble cast of the Wraiths, this book is just amazing, as you’d expect from Allston, and whilst it isn’t my favourite X-Wing book, it’s pretty damn close. Highly recommended!

And yes, I READ this, no audiobook this time!

[Darth · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
Moim zdaniem najsłabsza z serii, ale zarazem świetnie się bawiłam. Humor jak wcześniej błyskotliwy. Szkoda mi, że to ostatni tom serii.
Na szczęście Wedge i Eskadra Łotrów jeszcze się będą pojawiać w innych książkach. Będę tęsknić.
Jakbym miała być pilotką Nowej Republiki, to chciałabym należeć Eskadry Łotrów albo Eskadry Widm.
Niech Moc będzie z Wami!

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still no fan of the dogfight sequences...but this is easily the best of the X-Wing books. The environment is different from all the other novels, it concentrates on a small number of the core cast, the emotional stakes feel very authentic...and it's full of great humour and wonderful one-liners. If anything, this is a Star Wars take on a Star Trek/Prime Directive story...and its the most satisfying read I've experienced in this series. Well done.

[Mallori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a girl who reads Star Wars novels, and I have to say the entire X-wing series of books are some of the best. However, Starfighters of Adumar is one of my personal favorites.
With the inclusion of Wes and Hobbie, we get all the humor that Allston brought to the Wraith Squadron series, but now we also get to see what happens with Iella and Wedge, which my girly romantic side just ate up.
While it's part of the X-wing series, I also liked that this was almost a "one and done" book with no lingering cliff hangers. This was an entertaining chapter in the SW Expanded Universe.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down, this is the wittiest Star Wars book in existence. This is a great book for making your day better.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, but I was expecting a Wraith Squadron book so it was a bit of an odd experience. It was really good to have Hobbie and Wes fleshed out a little more though.

[TheGeeksAttic · Rating 2 out of 5]

Star Wars: Starfighters of Adumar. was written by Bestselling Author, Aaron Allston. This Expanded Universe tale takes place during the New Republic Era, 13 ABY ( 13 years after the battle of Yavin).

SUMMARY
Adumar, a world on the edge of wild space, was found by mapping scout while doing a run in the unknown regions. The New Republic wants Adumar to join them, as intelligence shows that the planet and its people would be able to produce an endless supply of proton torpedoes.

The people of Adumar don't like politics though, but really admire pilots, specifically fighter pilots - a strange idolized hero worship. Audumari leadership will not speak with any regular old politicians - they must be a skilled pilot, specifically, a starfighter pilot.

When Wedge Antilles arrives, he's suprised to find that not only are the Adumari a crazy people (always fighting and killing each other in the name of "honor"), but the Empire also has representitves present to win over Adumar.

OVERALLTHOUGHTS
Such a strange time to bring in another X-Wing book. Such a random place in the timeline. I hate to say it, but this book feels like those TV shows that don't really move the story forward, "filler episodes." That's what this book feels like.

I enjoyed the Wraith Squadron books by Allston, but this one is weak. This "filler" story starts off decent, yet quickly drops off the interest scale. The action - dull, the plot - boring, the characters - bland. I really had my hopes up that this was going to be exciting and fun. Some aspects of the story were a little interesting, with betrayal and some of the competitive spirit of the Adumari people, but overall, I'm disappointed with this story.

Do I recommend this story? No

RATING
I give Star Wars: X-Wing - Starfighters of Adumar, a C-.

[Colin McEvoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having been going through the old Star Wars Legends books in chronological order in recent months, I’ve read some good ones and bad ones. But I’m always pleased when I see that the next one in line is by the late Aaron Allston. I wouldn’t call him my favorite Star Wars author; he’s certainly not in the same league as Timothy Zahn, in my estimation. But Allston has a delightful sense of humor and flair for whimsy and idiosyncrasy that distinguishes him from all other authors in this universe, so that even if it’s not the most memorable of Star Wars stories – and Starfighters of Adumar certainly is not – it’s still sure to be at least an enjoyable read.

Starfighters of Adumar isn’t as strong as the three Wraith Squadron X-Wing novels Allston previously penned, which in my view were the three strongest books in the series, thanks in large part to its quirky characters and Allston’s distinctive spin on the traditional Star Wars starfighter squadron storyline. But, as is often the case with Allston, Starfighters of Adumar at least boasts an interesting enough storyline, centered around an unusual diplomatic mission amid a most unusual world and peculiar subculture with a sense of honor far different from the one shared by the novel’s protagonist, Wedge Antilles.

With almost all of the action confined to this world of Adumar, Starfighters of Adumar lacks the feeling that the stakes are particularly high, especially compared to other novels like Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire trilogy and Kevin J. Anderson’s Jedi Academy trilogy where the ramifications of the events have a galaxy-wide impact. Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia Organa, and most of the characters from the Star Wars films with the exception of Wedge and a few other minor pilots are absent from Adumar, but that’s case with all the X-Wing novels, and regular Star Wars readers won’t be bothered by this at all.

Despite the smaller scope of this story compared to other Star Wars novels, I found Adumar was an enjoyable setting, and the competition between the New Republic and the Empire to win the allegiances of the planet raised some interesting narrative questions. With their misguided emphasis on honor from combat and blatant disregard for human life, was it worthwhile for the New Republic to win over this planet? Would it be acceptable to do so was to engage in their practice of fatal dueling and resort to tactics similar to those that the Empire would engage? If Wedge were ordered to do so against his will, could he do it, and should he? Or should he resign, or face a possible court martial?

But for my money, Allston’s sense of humor that distinguishes Starfighters of Adumar more than the themes above do. At times, he maybe gets a little too far with the humor – at one point, Wedge and his fellow pilots literally dress in drag – but there are lots of fun touches in this novel that reflect the kind of thinking-outside-the-box eccentricities Allston so excels at. One of my favorites was the documentarian who, when first introduces, wears a 3PO head on her shoulders for use as a recording device during interviews, giving her the impression of a most unusual two-headed creature, because studies suggest her interviewees find 3PO units “nonthreatening.”

Wedge Antilles, the recurring hero of the X-Wing novels and comics in particular, is always a fun protagonist because he is a direct tie-in to the original trilogy films – he appears in all three, and is the only character to survive the battles against both Death Stars – but his role in the movies is so small that there is a very wide canvas for the novelists to expand upon his story. (Geeky side note: The culmination of the romance between Wedge and Iella Wessiri, the New Republic intelligence official who had appeared in a half-dozen novels and several comics before this one, was far more rewarding than the arbitrary romance Wedge got tossed into with Death Star designer Qwi Xux in the Jedi Academy trilogy. That subplot seemed like nothing but an excuse to find something to do with Wedge and Qwi, unlike all the groundwork that had been previously set between Wedge and Qwi, and I’m glad that Allston wasted no time to dumping Qwi in literally the first chapter of this book.)

But it’s really Wes Janson who steals the show in Starfighters of Adumar. An extremely minor character in The Empire Strikes Back who rides with Wedge during the snowspeeder assault on the AT-ATs over Hoth (“Good shot, Janson!”), Wes has evolved into a comic relief character of sorts in the Star Wars Legends universe, with a wise-cracking and mischievous personality that serves as a perfect stand-in for Allston’s own sense of humor. Allston really puts him to good use in this novel, both in multiple comedic moments, and in scenes that demonstrate the military competence that tends to get overlooked due to Janson’s regard as a joker (like a particularly enjoyable scene where Janson challenges an arrogant assailant to a duel).

As with most of the X-Wing novels, the dialogue sometimes falls a bit flat in Starfighters of Adumar, and my attention wavered a bit during a second brief starbattle at the end of this book immediately following a much interesting one in the novel’s climax. But overall, it was a Starfighters of Adumar quick and enjoyable enough read, and as I continue reading through the Legends books, I’m looking forward whenever I reach Aaron Allston’s next one.

[Griffin Honeycutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the X-Wing series, and this entry perfectly exemplifies why. Allston adds excellent wit and character to the regular people of the Star Wars universe. This entry chose to focus on a smaller four-man flight instead of a full 12-man squad, and while I love the big ensembles, it was nice to focus on a smaller group for once and follow one main plot thread. Wedge has been a great supporting character in the series so far, but I was delighted to see him step into the main character role here. I was impressed that this book occasionally takes the time to slow down and let characters work through issues in an emotionally mature way. Both the main conflict and the excellent romantic subplot between Iella and Wedge was resolved this way. While it does little to conclude the series, that’s not what it set out to do at all, so I’m perfectly fine with it. Most books in this series work well as standalone anyway. Overall an excellent entry and one of my favorites, just behind Wraith Squadron.

[Alan · Rating 2 out of 5]

So this one was a little different than the rest of the series. Taking place a couple years later, Wedge is tapped to be a New Republic Ambassador to a planet the NR is trying to woo in order to get access to their missile factories. As the populace of said planet practically worships fighter pilots, so much so that a great deal of the population become pilots and engage in regular duels, Wedge takes three of his top Rogue Squadron mates along in order to impress the people. Of course, there are former Empire representatives there trying the same tactic, as well as intrigue galore. It's not terrible, but it's still not that great a novel. But at least I've finally finished the original X-wing series.

[Jonathan Mckay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Continues the trend of completely undemanding Scifi to fall asleep to in an abridged fashion. A departure from the rest of the series, had some serious Foreigner vibes, and was better for it. I'm to the point of declaring legends my personal Star Wars canon.

[Adam Kiewel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wedge Antilles saga continues. I was really excited to get back to Allstons writing after isards revenge. While he didn't dissapoint (This was one of the funniest books I've ever read) I did expect a return to wraith squadron and that kind of story. While I missed the wraith squadron characters, Jansen and the guys made up for it. We see wedge in a different environment. It also feels like his personal development came to a point here. I could have asked more from the plot, but it was serviceable. I will say I felt like they could have done more with cheriss. I felt like her story was never really finished

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wedge/Wes/Hobbie is an iconic trio. Tycho is cool as well

[Tibbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 38 on my read-through of the Star Wars Legends books.

I think I set my expectations for this one a bit too high. All I've ever heard is praise for this book -- many people call it one of the best Star Wars novels ever written, if not the best. And, considering how much I loved the Wraith Squadron trilogy, I went into this book fully expecting it to top those and emerge as a 9.5/10 or even my first 10/10.

In retrospect, the book could never have lived up to my expectations. Nor does it feel like the author intended to meet some lofty aspiration. Starfighters of Adumar doesn't have the grand dramatic highs, laugh-out-loud punchlines, or indelible characters of the Wraith Squadron series. I've heard people say this book is comedic, but I think that is a mischaracterization -- this book isn't "funny" so much as it is "fun." There is a spirit of deliberate light-heartedness that permeates this book.

I will admit, I really got off on the wrong foot with Starfighters of Adumar from the first chapter. Seriously, Wedge, how the hell do you fumble a hot blue alien scientist gf? I was always rubbed the wrong way by the way the X-Wing books introduced a new human love interest for Wedge in the form of Iella, despite knowing about his chronologically later (but written early) romance with Qwi Xux in the Jedi Academy books. Admittedly, KJA already muddled that romance with that stupid mind-wipe, but Wedge and Qwi seemed to be doing great in Darksaber, which takes place only a few months before this book.

The way Stackpole and Allston inherently treated that relationship as if it were a temporary fling and his true love must of course be a generic human female just feels...vaguely alien-racist? The second Wedge breaks up with Qwi, he basically pretends the relationship never happened, and Iella even makes some weirdly off-putting comments about her. Admittedly, I am biased because of my undying love for Mass Effect's hot blue alien scientist gf Liara T'soni, but this book just feels so wildly disrespectful to poor Qwi Xux. It doesn't help that her replacement is so underwhelming. Is it crazy that I don't find Iella interesting at all? Seriously, I don't think I could name a single character trait about her. Vaguely determined, I guess? Wedge, you're going to give up Qwi Xux, who is both a super-genius and an all-around sweetheart, for this generic human woman you work with? Justice for Qwi Xux!

Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh right, a book. It's actually really good.

Despite the fact that I don't particularly like Iella, Allston manages to make their romance work, due to his usual sharp dialogue. The fact that Iella is boring is mostly due to the fact that she's a Stackpole character, and Allston does his best to inject her with some personality. There's only so much he can do, but the interactions between her and Wedge were very cute and the ending was nice.

This book takes a while to get going. In fact, the entire first half had me scratching my head about why people like it at all. But then you realize it's all setup for an absolutely sensational second half. Again, I think my expectations were to blame: I went in expecting the hectic plotting of Allston's other X-Wing books, where there are dozens of small missions sprinkled throughout and the story constantly evolves through twists and turns. But Starfighters of Adumar instead adopts a more straight-forward plot structure with a clear build-up and destination. By the end, I found myself appreciating the first half for the way it carefully put all the pieces in place so that the later parts could knock it out of the park.

Above all, I would describe this book as cinematic. Reading this felt like watching a top-tier summer blockbuster. This is basically the "Thor: Ragnarok" of the Bantam era, a tightly crafted light-hearted stand-alone adventure released right before the giant epic saga was slated to begin (i.e. Infinity War and the NJO series, respectively). The space (and land) battles in this don't display the same creativity as those in the Wraith Squadron books, but they have an epicness that none of the previous X-Wing books had, and a very kinetic, movie-like energy. Thematically, this book does have "things to say," but they're the kinds of messages you'd expect in a blockbuster: simple, well-worn truths that are none-the-less articulated in a very satisfying way.

The writing quality, dialogue, and characters are not at the level of the Wraith Squadron books, but they are very good. Allston is quite obviously one of the best authors to touch the Star Wars franchise. He excels at imbuing even minor characters with a lot of personality and care, and he manages to fit in quite a few character arcs into such a short book.

I do wish Wedge's three companions had more to do -- the four of them basically function as a single unit from the start, but I suppose that's to be expected from people who have worked together for so long, and it's better than manufacturing drama or having something horrible happen to one of them. Adding additional side plots with one or more of them would have taken away from the streamlined nature of the book, so I suppose it's for the best. But still, I can't help but feel like Janson, Hobbie, and Tycho got the least attention of any of the characters, other than a couple fun quips here and there.

Anyway, I really liked this book. It doesn't quite reach into the upper echelons, but that was an unreasonable expectation for me to have in the first place. A solid 8.5/10, but I could see this being one of the Star Wars books I return to again and again over the years when I want something fun to read.

By the way, I thought I might start including some of my synesthesia colors in these reviews. This book is extremely "red," which is one of my favorite colors. The Wraith Squadron books actually had fairly complex color profiles: reds and purples and blues and greens. Planet of Twilight was very green, like a rich verdant green -- which is weird because it mostly took place on a desert planet.

[James Floyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starfighters of Adumar is one of the most entertaining Star Wars novels. As a standalone adventure in the X-Wing series, you don't need a lot of background on the characters (but it does help if you have read some of the other X-Wing books), and you'll have a lot of fun. Aaron Allston writes with good humor as well as good action and characterization, so you're in for a treat with this one.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fun book. Allston has become one of my favourite Star Wars writers with his combination of light writing style, plenty of action and effective use of humour. The plot is vastly different from the rest of the X-Wing series, but the familiar tone ensures that the story doesn't feel out of place. One of my favourites.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an amazing book. Though it is very funny, it has some very good lessons in it, and makes you think. It also has some romance (clean romance) which helps. Though it is the ninth in a series, it can be read alone.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aaron Allston took Wedge and his friends and sent them on an epic and humorous adventure.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Reread] Still smart, still incredibly funny, no matter how many times I've read it. What a great book, and as ever kudos to Allston for once again cleaning up one of KJA's messes. <3

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stars: 3 (2024)
Re-read: Leaning no.
Recommend to: If you're super invested in the SW EU. It's a story that isn't likely to impact other stories in the timeline other than maybe a love interest.

This was a decent book that more or less made me shrug and say, "That was fine." I wasn't constantly irritated by incompetent writing like some other SW books, but it is closer to bunting for a single than hitting a home run.

The plot was sort of contrived, but in a way that wasn't terribly offensive. Allston comes up with an idea that there is a previously undiscovered advanced planet that essentially worships pilots. So Republic Intelligence decides to send Wedge as their diplomat to try and bring them into the Republic while Imperials do the same with some of their top pilots. This is pretty silly, but he handled it in a way that didn't try to take itself too seriously. He went off the deep end a bit though when, to make the plot work, he contrived a reason that they couldn't have any communication with anyone else in the galaxy, because then the plot would just seem silly as Wedge has no clue what is going on and they are constantly fighting for their lives against terrible odds while a friendly star destroyer in space is watching over and refusing to respond to them because a corrupt diplomat, who has no power in this negotiation because he isn't a pilot, secretly ordered things this way. So Cracken sends out the most famous and skilled pilot they have to potentially hostile territory with a handful of other high profile heroes to try and recruit a very valuable planet (they'll drastically increase proton torpedo production), and he isn't concerned at all at the total communication blackout? He isn't concerned that even the star destroyer isn't communicating with them? It seems certain that Cracken would send out a follow up team almost immediately after all communication ceases, and he certainly wouldn't just sit back for the duration of the book in the dark and just assume this incredibly unusual lack of communication is no big deal. The final contrivance is that the main power on Adumar is made up of psychotic killers who end almost every duel/flight in death. They are disgusted by the thought of a simulator or not dueling with live ammunition. They'll even shooting down pilots who have abandoned their craft. I'm sorry Aaron, but you'd have almost no pilots left. To be alive, you have to essentially never lose, and they are always fighting and dueling. It just doesn't work. And that's ignoring the insane cost of constantly destroying your aircraft for honor duels. So those are the things you have to be okay with overlooking if you want to enjoy this book. The laudable ideas in the plot are that Allston kept the story very localized. It's not some galaxy spanning adventure where Wedge almost single-handedly takes down the biggest threat to the Republic. They want a planet to join the Republic, and they work to make that happen. Disney Star Wars could've learned a lot from this type of scope in their storytelling.

The worst part of this book was how Allston handled Wedge's love interests. He clearly had an idea of where he wanted things to go, but he wasn't very interested in putting in any work to justify it. The goal was clearly to dump Qwi and get him with Iella. Fine. He starts by Wedge and Qwi instantly both deciding they had no future together and moving on. Fine, that didn't need to be drawn out, but it was very abrupt for a romance the X-wing series dedicated serious time to developing. My problem was with how him moving on to Iella was handled. They run into each other on Adumar, and she essentially tells them they aren't friends anymore. He is walking away, but turns back and refuses to go and she tells him that hurt her to see him with Qwi and she felt they missed their chance. It's literally like two pages between her telling him their friendship is over to him telling her he loves her, she loves him, and they are engaged to become engaged when the events on Adumar is over. It would be fine to say let's have them get together and become a couple, but they went from renewing their interest in each other (which never went beyond going on like one or two dates before her husband returned) to wanting to get married in about 90 seconds. Insanity. And it was hilarious what happens next. Wedge and one of his buddies were staking out the place waiting for Iella to come back so he could talk to her. Wedge goes inside and apparently spends the night. I'm assuming they were having sex and Wedge just leaves his buddy outside in the hallway for hours. At first you just assume it was for a 10-20 minute conversation, but then you find out it was hours later when he comes out and you're like, what a jerk?

There are a few too many times Wedge acts out of character. So when Wedge finally emerges from his love nest, his buddy tells him that he heard another person breathing in the shadows of the hallway he was watching in. Wedge just laughs at him and brushes it off. Now, wouldn't you think that he would have concern that he's blown the cover of his now engaged to be his fiance Iella and put her life in jeopardy? Shouldn't he have even a shred of worry that he has put not just her mission, but her life in jeopardy? He completely blows this off, mocks his friend like he isn't an incredibly competent veteran, and moves on. Of course, it was Cheriss who was following them and this leads to her beginning an attempted suicide by duel out of despair. Another plot point that is completely out of character is how easily he accepts being given zero information about his role as a diplomat. He literally goes into every situation with no idea what the customs or beliefs of the locals are. It ends up being because Tomer is manipulating things to sabotage him, but that doesn't excuse Wedge being willing to be kept in the dark about everything for no viable reason. A lot of problems arise in the plot from this and it is silly. Finally, he sends two of his best friends to lead an ambush during the climactic battle, but he is taken by surprise when the ambush happens because he has almost completely forgot about it. What? Does that sound like Wedge at all? I'm Wedge and I completely forgot about one of the major features of my plan that is being led by two of my best friends that are normally flying with me.

Allston did well in allowing a war to be a war. Too much of Star Wars allows the good guys to avoid killing. Allston spends perhaps a bit too long describing how the good guys avoid killing when possible, but I appreciated that, when the fighting began, the good guys are blowing people away left and right and not agonizing about it afterwards. It wasn't shooting an engine so they can avoid killing enemy combatants. They would just be shooting people in the face. Nice.

I wasn't a fan of much of the dialogue, but I think he did well with the comedic characters of Janson and Hobbie. It's easy for authors to mess up competent but buffoonish characters like them, but Allston did well there.
First Read: 4 Stars 2008

[Daniel Greear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starfighters of Adumar (X-Wing #9):

I’m impressed with myself for reading so many Star Wars books at this point, especially nine of the X-Wing books, which I started ten months ago. The Star Wars novels aren’t great literature, but I’ve loved the universe (no pun intended) since I was a kid and it’s always fun to read an entertaining book. There’s nothing quite like 90s Star Wars, and this is peak.

The X-Wing series has its ups and downs and I’ve found most books in the series to be mediocre. Starfighters of Adumar is definitely one of the better books in the series and I love Allston’s writing. He truly grasps what Star Wars is supposed to be about (unlike Disney) and I’m sad that he’s long since passed away. He left quite a few books, but died relatively young and could have written so many more.

This is a self-contained story that doesn’t really advance the overall plot of Star Wars post-ROTJ in any way. It’s skippable in regards to the “big picture” but not worth skipping. I found that Allston makes the characters of Wedge, Tycho, Wes, and Hobbie come to life in ways not seen before. His humor truly shines through the pages and brings levity to the story. I found that his writing of female characters is average, definitely not as interesting as the others, but he’s not terrible at it. Lastly, I found that the space combat doesn’t interest me, but that’s just me and I’ve never been that in tune with it.

I love the world of Adumar asAllston creates a fresh story and a vibrant and unique setting. Adumar has a twisted take on honor, the stakes are high, and it’s like a space version of medieval Europe. Apparently he created the name Adumar from Alexander Dumas’s name, which makes sense as the book feels a little Three Musketeers-y. I didn’t know where this one was going to go plot-wise, and all of the above makes it a good book.

Next, I will finish off the Bantam Era books I’ve wanted to read by reading Zahn’s duology. After that, my Star Wars reading will be jumping around quite a bit until I decide I want to tackle the NJO.

[James Hogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The "final" book in the X-Wing series (I don't count the most recent one...as I really didn't enjoy that one and so will not be rereading!), this one is a fitting conclusion to the X-Wing saga, wrapping everything up nicely. It's really all about Wedge, which is interesting because as much as the previous books have had Wedge in them, this book focuses on him far more than everyone else, almost to the exclusion of all other characters! But Wedge is awesome and so I can't really complain. (He's so awesome, that I'm currently rewatching A New Hope and very much enjoying the starfighter sequences, especially the end sequence with Wedge!) This book is a bit different than the previous books in that all the action takes place pretty much on one planet, with almost no space travel at all! Yes, there's a space battle at the end, but it's pretty perfunctory. All of the action takes place on the planet's (Adumar) surface or atmosphere, so it is slightly more claustrophobic of a Star Wars book. And in more ways than one. Adumar is a world that's been cut off from the rest of civilization for a while and has now been rediscovered by both the Empire and the New Republic....and both are vying for its allegiance (mainly because of proton torpedo factories or something? I found that amusing - only for the military industrial complex is the planet worth fighting over...). Wedge and a small team (Wes Janson and Tycho and Hobbie) are sent as diplomats because Adumar is a world that reveres fighter pilots above all. Because this world has been separated from broader galactic civilization, it has a very unique culture and it's quite fun to see Wedge and the boys try to navigate this world as they also try to fulfill their mission...amidst betrayal, hijinks and general madness. A great read, even if the romance stuff feels a bit eye-roll worthy at times. Still, a fun adventure and I am a bit saddened that my X-Wing re-read is over.

[Kevin Wortman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 / 5

Each X-Wing novel is a mashup of starfighter fiction with some other genre. This one is a mashup with diplomacy fiction. Adumar is a backwards planet with a strange culture that prizes warrior honor, and especially starfighter pilots, above all else. It is strategically important and considering joining the New Republic or Empire. Four familiar Rogue Squadron pilots venture to win over the Adumarians by out-doing their Imperial counterparts.

THE GOOD

This is a fun, though not particularly deep, story.

The pacing is spot-on. The book is propulsive and a page-turner.

There are callbacks to events of much earlier X-Wing novels. I appreciate the continuity.

There are legitimately funny moments, which is a strength of Allston’s Star Wars books.

THE BAD

The sci-fi diplomacy angle is reminiscent of Star Trek and Ursula Le Guin’s novels, which are frankly superior.

Why are pilots handling diplomacy, instead of proper diplomats? Because of Adumar’s preposterous starfighter-obsessed culture. It’s a strained premise.

Locating the story on a backwater world means that there is very little Star Wars Stuff. Readers looking for stuff like Jedi, Wookies, droids, etc. will be disappointed.

The humor can be sophomoric. It’s not my cup of tea, though it makes sense for the anticipated audience of teenagers.

The romance scenes are cringey.

[Eoghan Moran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that single-handedly kept me reading the Star Wars universe. Given the increasing drop in quality of (virtually) every novel following the Thrawn trilogy, I was near ready to give up on my goal: reading in chronological order the entire (Legends) back-catalogue of the Galactic Civil War, from the Corellia Treaty to the Pallaeon-Gavrisom Treaty (Force Unleashed to Vision of the Future). No matter how dire the novel (Jedi Prince series, I’m looking at you!) I planned to slog through the eighty-odd books to read the history of the civil war in full. And I got so far – the end was in sight, just a dozen novels left to go. But after the brilliant Shadows of Mindor, the pulpy but downright fun X-Wing series, and Zahn’s three-part masterpiece, everything seemed to be going downhill. Having slogged once through the horrors of Kyp Durron and Callista, only to be greeted by the uninspiring prospect of yet more of their story, plus the Crystal Star, I had run out of steam, and after Darksaber abandoned the Star Wars saga to read other series instead, without certainty of returning. But return I did, for one last X-Wing novel out of respect for the fun I had reading Stackpole and Allston's Rogues saga. And I am glad I gave it a chance.

Starfighters of Adumar is a best-of for the X-Wing series, taking all of the highlights of the past novels distilled into one gripping, if low-key, adventure. Gone are the extended Rogue roster of random redshirts and forgettable fighter-aces: here, aside from Iella returning as a deep-cover intelligence operative, our main character Wedge Antilles is joined by a trio of old comrades who have been strangely underused in the series until now: fellow movie background characters lugubrious Hobbie and irrepressible Janson, plus (author’s invention, but retconned as present in the movies) cerebral Tycho Celcu. Tycho had briefly been an interesting antihero during the start of the X-Wing series, while Janson and Hobbie had largely written out of the Rogue Squadron stories. Unfortunately so, as this tight-knit group of decade-long veterans, each with their distinct personality and role as a foil for General Antilles, coheres far better as protagonists than most of the quickly-replaced wingmen from earlier books. As viewpoint characters, I find that pairing up Wedge with these three old war buddies succeeds far better than Corran Horn or Kell Tainer, making me regret that this ‘Old Guard’ of Rogue Squadron hadn’t been more prominent in the previous novels.

The plot was engaging from the start. X-Wing began as a pulpy Top Gun-style shooter adventure, a pastiche that I would have enjoyed for one novel and no more. But thankfully it branched out to take a different approach with each new book: the courtroom intrigue and sectarian squabbles (foretaste of the major conceit of the Corellia and Hand of Thrawn series) of The Krytos Trap; Solo Command’s cat-and-mouse contest of wills with Imperial strategist Zsinj; Wedge’s Gamble with its gritty urban-warfare liberation of Coruscant echoing Paris Brule-t-il and Roma Città Apertà. And not to mention the mischievous humour of the Wraith subseries, notably in the person of Wes Janson. Elements of each is here distilled into one adventure.

Here Wedge finds himself reluctantly parachuted into the role of diplomat for the Republic to a seemingly newly-discovered world. Republic Intelligence calculates that Adumar, with its colourful culture of dashing duellists and flamboyant fighter-pilots, will respond well to the presence of the Republic’s greatest aerial ace. But Wedge quickly finds himself out of his depth, as his simple brief for a cheerful public relations tour reveals more dangerous dimensions: the Rogues find themselves competing for the hearts and minds of Adumar against a team of Imperial aces, whose arrival at precisely the same time and for precisely the same purpose suggests that there is something else going on. Republic Intelligence seems to have its own parallel agenda that may or may not coincide with the best interests of either the native Adumari or the Rogues; in turn the people of Adumar, whose love for the art of aerial combat is rivalled only by their passion for political intrigue, are less naive than they first appear, and may well be using the presence of the two rival superpowers to play their own game on their own terms. Our heroes, arriving expecting a schedule of speeches and embassy functions, soon find themselves in a high-stakes chess-game where their dogfighting skills may have to be combined with improvised skills in diplomacy and skulduggery. All the while, Antilles is placed in a role unfamiliar to him: no longer merely the soldier following orders, he must now combine war and politics to decide for himself what methods can be justified by his assigned goals, and just what, precisely, those goals entail: is he a mere delegate, tolerating the eccentric Adumari’s objectionable way of doing things for the greater good of the Republic’s strategic needs, or does he have a moral duty to make a choice about what the Republic stands for, and when to draw the line on deciding that the Adumari may be incompatible with the republican ideals for which he has long fought? Or is there a third way: by his actions and example, might he not steer the world on a different course, tipping its internal balance of power in such a way as to accentuate (what he sees as) the many positive elements within Adumari culture and thus render it congruent with the ethos of the Republic? In any case the Wedge in this book seems faithful both to the character as we met him in Rogue Squadron, yet also to the experience and maturity that we have seen him acquire over the course of nine novels.

Starfighters of Adumar is a great example of what can be done with the sandbox of the Star Wars universe: not a lightsaber or magic power in sight, just adventure and intrigue, war and politics on one planet, a microcosm of the Galactic Civil War from the perspective of the military, secret service and diplomatic corps – exactly what I was hoping for. Aaron Allston has single-handedly recharged my Star Wars battery after a draining succession of lazily-imagined and/or -executed tie-in books; engines are go to continue on... at least as far as the next Zahn books.