Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream

We are back on fucking track.

My first Aaron Allston book and the hype behind him was not overstated.

Usually when told writers for books or comics are funny, I find myself not jiving with it. Not sure why, but I'm apparently not in the mood for jokes when reading!

But Allston is the MAN at comedy.

It helps that he just GETS these characters, writes the BEST fighter action in novels I've ever read, makes everything easy to understand with a clear depth to his descriptions that aren't boring but help create a vivid image, and even makes up for the mistakes of the last book!

Wow, basically!

Firstly, the opener to this book goes back in time a little, making up for the stupid pause the last book took. Adding events previous in the timeline, we get an exceptional fight from the New Republic as under the command of Wedge, they take back Borleias.

The entire first hundred pages or so are before the events of ‘Dark Journey' and I think it helped a lot to take a break from angsty Jaina and horny Kyp. But when they come back, not only are they handled so well, Jaina becomes a standout in this book. But I'll talk more on that later.

Reforming the Rebellion, the main Rebellion characters are just incredible, and this is one of the best story beats of the series so far. Finally, they are taking charge and not taking no for answers, the Rebellion is back, and they mean business.

Constantly foiling the plans of the Vong, and successfully tricking them, the best ship action I've read in Star Wars helps add to the several gripping dogfights in the book, and the characters behind them are all excellent.

Developing Jag and Jaina further was the right move. They have incredible chemistry, and their romance is exceptional. When they finally kissed, I was so happy! I love these two, and no writer better EVER come back and try to do Jaina with Kyp again or I will be fuming.

Kyp is CORRECTLY characterised as an annoying, still bratty, but very WRONG Jedi. There is a moment where he seriously thinks he is better than Luke Skywalker, more powerful, and therefore can do something Luke has done before but better. He doesn't, of course.

There is an awkward explanation offered for Kyp's attraction to Jaina, and although kinda thrown in, I think it's better than the idea of Kyp flirting with a teenager since she was sixteen-ish, and finding her attractive.

Luke and Mara are great even if sparingly used, setting up their mission to Coruscant. I just love the idea of Luke going on an undercover mission, and the imagery of him in Yuuzhan Vong armour (even if a replica of it) is brilliant!

The internal struggle of Mara and having to fight a war with a newborn son needing to be taken care of is integral to her character and I love that. She's still the fierce warrior she has always been, but she adores her son, and is someone else completely for him. I love the way the transformative nature of becoming a mother/father is handled here.

I loved the Yuuzhan Vong storyline, seeing them constantly blunder and be defeated again and again is very, very rewarding after book after book of them succeeding. It's all to do with the Rebel Alliance again, this time, the ‘Insiders', putting the fight to them.

Viqi's story was solid, with the agent sacrificing himself in a really heartfelt moment I loved. It's a subtle story, but I'm glad it's there to remind the reader that Viqi is still lingering. I wonder when her plot is gonna be resolved!

I'm expecting Jacen to be addressed again in ‘Traitor', so his absence is felt! But it has done wonders for Jaina's character here. She finally gets to address her issues, and face them head on.

I love that her connection with Jag really helps her, as she allows herself to feel her emotions finally, finding some she felt she could open up to. I love that for those two. And I love that she finally got to heal her relationship with Leia, when they spoke after Jaina woke up from a rest I nearly got emotional.

Allston handles these characters so, so well. Jaina is one of my favourite characters again!

Overall, this is a little bit of a short review, not from laziness, but from the fact this book is kinda setting up the next one mostly.

But it still managed to be furiously entertaining. So gripping, I was constantly tempted to read it quicker, but I decided to spend a little time doing some other things I hadn't for a while, and I'm glad I took my time doing just one hundred a day.

Characters like Lando and his wife, Han, and Danni got really good little plots and characterisation, just the sorta writing that I have missed when reading the last book, and wasn't at the forefront for a little bit. I love the new Han and Leia, as pilots of the Millennium Falcon especially.

Generally, a fantastic book really. Bloody loved it.

8.5/10