Rogue Squadron: Star Wars Legends (Rogue Squadron)

"Rogue Squadron" is the first book (of 9) in the X-Wing series set in the Star Wars universe. The Rogue Squadron is legendary. Responsible for the destruction of both Death Stars, as well as being one of the primary defense forces on Hoth, the Rogue Squadron is given the toughest missions and has the highest death rate in the entire Rebel Alliance. Commander Wedge Antilles has been given a new mission for his Rogue Squadron, straight from Admiral Ackbar and the leadership of the Alliance: assemble the best of the best pilots and reform Rogue Squadron to tackle the highest profile, most difficult missions and try and end this war against the Empire. Emperor Palpatine might be two years dead by the start of "Rogue Squadron", but the Empire is vast and top Empire officials have taken hold of the Empire (even as it splinters apart). Some planets may not even know of his death, yet. It was a major victory, but the war still rages on. Ysanne Isard, the head of Imperial Intelligence runs the Empire in everything but name. Nicknamed "Iceheart", she is exactly that. Isard is cold, ruthless, and subtle in her actions: a true intelligence officer. She continues to hunt the Alliance, and in particular, the symbol that is Rogue Squadron. The primary protagonist of "Rogue Squadron" is the Correllian Corran Horn, a former member of the Correllian Security (CorSec). He is one of the best in Rogue Squadron, which makes him one of the elite pilots in the galaxy. Corran Horn, while a great pilot and an asset to the Alliance, is also a hunted man. Kirtan Loor, an underling of Isard and a man with a grudge against Horn, is put in charge of the mission to destroy Rogue Squadron and protect the Empire. Being a novel about an X-Wing fighter squadron, "Rogue Squadron" is filled with space battles and dog fights and is action packed. This is a fast paced Star Wars novel and is one of the better ones that I have read. Being set after "Return of the Jedi" means that we don't know how the story is going to play out or what the future is for the Alliance (every prequel novel has to fit itself into the known events of the movies). This frees the story up a bit, and with a novel built around characters who were not even in the films (except for minor characters like Wedge), there is a sense of freedom here. It helps that Michael Stackpole is able to tell an entertaining story that also serves to build the overreaching plotline of the X-Wing series. For a reader looking to discover what happens after "Return of the Jedi", "Rogue Squadron" is the perfect place to begin. -Joe Sherry

Like many when i first bought this book i was reluctant to read it because, i didn't think that a book about X-Wings was going to be any good...but 4 years after buying it i finally decided to read it and and i can say is WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG?? This book was amazing, there is almost constant action all the way thru. I hope the other books in the series can match the intensity of this one.Pros:1. Great description of battles2. Many new people, and a handy little list in the front of the book to show you whos who incase you somehow get Rhysati Ynr and Nawara Ven mixed up...rofl3. Since there are so many new people Stackpole can have pretty much free reign over what happens to them. Unlike when Han, Leia or Luke are involved in something, you always know they will escape.Cons:1. At points it seems like all the characters and being thrown at you all at once, mainly in the first battle.2. This is more of an annoyance then a Downside to the book, all the slang and abbreviations that are used seem a little out of place. Overall this is a great book and i would recommend it very Strongly.

I've read through the whole of the X-Wing series at least twice, and I've read almost every other Star Wars series there is. I have to say, that Michael Stackpole's X-Wing series surpasses every other. Stackpole's writing is exciting, fast paced and deep. The storyline is as good as anything I've yet to see and Stackpole is capable of having space battle after space battle without getting repetitive.The main protagonist of Rogue Squadron is new member, Corran Horn. Horn hails from Corellia; he used to work for CorSec which was kind of like a police/investigative agency. Corran learned long ago not to trust anyone, so the Stackpole goes indepth about how Corran must learn to trust his new wingmates, and the squad second in command, Tycho Celchu, whom he believes to be an Imperial spy. Corran Horn may seem arrogant, but he has the talent to back it up, as he quickly proves to be one of the top pilots in the squadron.Rogue Squadron was recommissioned to battle the Empire, which, while Emperor-less, still controls the greater part of the galaxy. Captain Wedge Antilles (of Trilogy fame) leads his squad into battle after battle against this incredible foe. The Empire is headed now by the demonic Isard and with the help of Corran Horns arch-rival, Kirtan Loor, the Empire will do their best to keep the rebels down. With the threat of both outer and inner foes, what will Rogue Squadron do? How will Corran Horn adjust and what role will he play in the battle against the Empire?Rogue Squadron is intriguing, suspenseful and an altogether very enjoyable novel. Stackpole has an excellent outing. Rogue Squadron is excellent and the X-Wing series (nine books in all), will prove to be one of the most popular series. This book is recommended to anyone, whether you love space battles, or intriguing plot and suspensful mystery.

I bought the entire set of the x-wing series when I ran out of my current obsession, "The New Jedi Order." I had actually skipped this series when it first came out because it didn't seem like something I would want to read. However, when one is high on Star Wars reading, and needs a fix, one will read anything they can get their hands on.Needless to say I was surprised by this book. I have always enjoyed Stackpole's writing, but I just didn't think he had much to work with in this particular sub-genre of the Star Wars universe. I mean come on, no Jedi, no c3PO, no R2D2?! Just x-wings flying around and shooting Imperial forces? I thought the book was going to be ... well, boring.The funny thing is that I had read "I, Jedi," by the time I picked up this book, so I know what Corran Horn's future holds in store for him. But that spoiler knowledge hasn't ruined the series for me.The plot line is well developed, and pulls a couple of nice twists and turns that leave you with a satisfied experience in the thinking department. The fighting scenes are descriptive without being "Tolkien-like," in as much as you get description, but not description that would put even ever patient Yoda to sleep. The character development is interesting and doesn't seem forced at all.Then you have the most important piece of these stories, the HISTORY! You won't realize it until you have read these stories, but a lot of the stories that are staged after these stories are supposed to have taken place, refer to incidences in these stories! The other authors do a good job of giving you clues as to what they are talking about, but reading these stories helps flesh out some back history for anyone that has missed these.Read them, you will like them.

Excellent gap filler. Almost non-stop action, with very few lulls. Stackpole and Allston do a great job of developing Wedge Antilles and creating a new core of fighter pilots. The whole series is a great read. Once you pick up these books, you won't put them down till you're finished. Hats off to the writers.