Star Wars: Aftermath by Chuck Wendig

One thing I never understood about the Star Wars universe is how the good guys never seem to win.

There was a huge celebration at the end of Return of the Jedi when the evil empire was defeated. The New Republic should have restored peace to the universe after that, but that’s not what happened. Things were just as bad, if not worse, in The Force Awakens thirty years later. I just didn’t get it.

Now I understand that it takes a long time to affect change of that magnitude. Certain people invested in the Empire would obviously fight to see it continue. They wouldn’t go quietly and just accept the new government if it meant they would lose power and influence. The shadow of the Empire could last for decades and decades.

I saw this happen in a great Star Trek novel entitled The Sorrows of Empire. In it, Spock from the Mirror Universe, devises a plan to transform the government into one that is more peaceful and upright. The changes he set in motion took close to two hundred years to come to fruition.

I wonder if we will ever see something like that happen ion the Star Wars universe. Right now, we are getting a glimpse of the aftermath of the original saga in television form. Unfortunately, this book doesn’t come close to the magic that is The Mandalorian. 

I won’t get into the plot of this book, just in case you decide to read it. But I will let you know that our heroes aren’t in this one. It’s a brand new cast of characters and we don’t get to see Luke, Leia, or Han at all.

There are two books that follow this one but I don’t plan on reading them. This one didn’t hook me enough to keep reading.

Why are trilogies are such a big thing in the Star Wars universe? One tighter story probably would have been the better way to go here.

My Reading Log of 2021 – coming soon!