Like the main narrative, they reveal little about the people and events defining a new era of the galaxy, too often alluding to more exciting or interesting moments that we never see materialize. Some of these moments really do grab you for a second.where did that red-bladed saber come from? Who are these Vader-worshiping acolytes? But most of the interludes lead nowhere. We catch glimpses of a stirring rebellion of Coruscant, a backroom Tatooine deal over an iconic suit of battle armor, a cultic group attempting to purchase a Sith lightsaber in a seedy tenement. Aftermath is interspersed with frequent cut-away interludes, flashes to events in other corners of the galaxy. Sadly, the frequent digressions outside of the main narrative add little of any real interest. The lack of compelling character development highlights a larger problem with Aftermath: everything that’s happening feels so small, so at odds with the more interesting story you feel might be taking place somewhere off-camera.

At the end of Aftermath, I’d met almost no one I cared about. A hundred pages into the last prominent post-Endor Star Wars story, Heir to the Empire, I couldn’t wait to find out more about Grand Admiral Thrawn, Talon Karrde, Mara Jade, and Joruus C’Baoth. And in the one surprise instance a couple of truly beloved major movie characters appear for a few pages, they immediately set off on a mission to do something exciting and cool, but we never see a moment of their actual adventure. Ackbar just spends time feeling bad about life and making boring decisions. Hotshot pilot Wedge Antilles spends most of the novel on the ground. When more familiar faces like Wedge, Mon Mothma, and Ackbar show up, they’re largely wasted. But there’s just not enough revealed of her personality to make her a particularly memorable or sympathetic character. Of all the new cast, I found capable Imperial Admiral Rae Sloane (first introduced in New Dawn) most interesting, particularly enjoying the time spent inside her head as she deals with her evolving self-doubts in the face of crisis. Cringe-worthy, Attack of the Clones-level stupid. Bones (yes, that’s his name) is just stupid.

Former Y-Wing pilot Norra has an interesting back story, but I could never bring myself to care about her attempts to heal the rift with her insufferable, pedantic child Temmin. Bounty hunting sniper Jas begins the tale as a satisfyingly imposing adventurer but ultimately disappoints. Sinjir, an Imperial loyalty officer turned accidental Rebel, has some promise, but he rarely gets the chance to shine. Sadly, the new cast of protagonists mostly fall flat. Like many Star Wars novels before it, Aftermath attempts to mingle popular movie characters with original heroes and villains.

Star wars aftermath trilogy