Del Rey, in collaboration with Marvel, recently released Star Wars: Alphabet Squadron, a companion novel to the recently released TIE Fighter comic series. Today we bring this mostly spoiler-free review of the latest entry into Star Wars canon. (So yes, warning: this book review contains some minor spoilers for the story.)
No-Spoiler Synopsis
Alphabet Squadron follows Imperial defector Yrica Quell as she works to prove her allegiance to the New Republic. Set between the Battle of Endor and the Battle of Jakku, the novel details the ongoing conflict between the remnants of the empire and the emerging New Republic. As the war wages, more and more imperials defect to the New Republic. But can the New Republic trust the defectors?
Having served with the infamous and particularly deadly 204th Imperial Fighter Wing, Quell has insider information that could prove vital to the New Republic’s war efforts. New Republic intelligence reluctantly assigns Quell command of a small group of pilots with the objective of eliminating the 204th. If she is going to succeed, she must win the trust of her squadron and set aside any lingering feelings about her previous squad.
Spoilers Below
Before you read the rest of this review, go watch this fan-made TIE Fighter short film.
Alexander Freed, the author of Alphabet Squadron, also wrote the precursor novel Battlefront: Twilight Company prior to the release of the Battlefront video game. The novel itself wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t great. What made it great though was the fact that it provided a layer of context to the game. Playing as the rebels in the ice fields of Hoth after reading the novel gave my imagination a healthy tickle.
What the Star Wars fandom needs today is a reworking of two of the greatest video games ever created: TIE Fighter for the PC and Rogue Squadron for the Nintendo 64. Alphabet Squadron would have made an excellent precursor to an Alphabet Squadron video game. Since this is supposedly the first novel in a trilogy, there may still be time for Star Wars to correct this oversight.
Hera Syndulla in Alphabet Squadron
One of the redeeming factors of Alphabet Squadron is the appearance of General Hera Syndulla. The green-skinned Twi’lek has a deep, rich history in the Star Wars Canon. As the daughter of Cham Syndulla, the leader of the Free Ryloth Movement during the Clone Wars, rebellion runs in her blood. She was instrumental in the organization of the Rebel Alliance (detailed in A New Dawn and the Rebels TV series). She was mentioned as an Easter Egg in Rogue One, and The Ghost was seen in the battle over Scariff.
This is the first novel that confirms her obvious military success, albeit in the background, throughout the original trilogy. Perhaps she was even flying one of the B-wings, which she was responsible for introducing into the Rebel fleet, during the assault on the Second Death Star. Either way, knowing that she is leading New Republic forces against the remnants of the Empire is a very satisfying step forward in her character development.
Overall, this novel provides an interesting window into the time immediately after the creation of the New Republic. It doesn’t really provide anything new to the canon that Battlefront II: Inferno Squad hasn’t already detailed. If you are a fan of battle tactics and strategy, this is the Star Wars book for you. Otherwise, I consider it a good read, but ultimately non-essential to the Star Wars Universe.
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