Battlefront - Twilight Company is the companion novel of 2015's Star Wars Battlefront video game, therefore expectations were rock bottom. However, by some strange twist, unlike the game (which was a huge and expensive disappointment) the novel is actually very good. The tie-in link may as well not be there, as they have very little in common other than both introducing the planet Sullust (Iceland) into common canon. The story is set between A New Hope and Return of the Jedi, and covers the battle of Hoth from the perspective of an infantry squadron known as Twilight Company. The ragtag crew of rebels are made up of volunteers from previous liberation campaigns across different worlds, led by a battle hardened veteran called Namir. Although the story itself is nothing remarkable, the writing ability of Alexander Freed stands head and shoulders above the other authors in the pot.
What appealed to me most about Twilight Company was the grittiness of the style and the events it depicts. Much like with the film Rogue One, we get to see a darker, dirtier side of the Rebel Alliance, and on the reverse, a sympathetic insight into the Empire. For instance, one of the story lines follows a naive female stormtrooper who follows orders under the belief that she's helping maintain order. There is also a merciful lack of melodrama present, which befits the military theme well. There are no heroes with Force powers and lightsabers, just normal people struggling against overwhelming odds. If I had one complaint, it would be that the ending is a little rushed as it winds up towards an unsatisfactory conclusion and half finished campaign. I was pleasantly surprised on the whole, and it came as a breath of fresh air after Wendig's Aftermath dross.
Rating: 4/5
No comments:
Post a Comment