Isard's Revenge (Star Wars, X-Wing #8) - Softcover

Stackpole, Michael A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0553579037 ISBN 13: 9780553579031

Publisher: Random House Worlds, 1999

Synopsis

Sleek, swift and deadly, the famed X-Wing fighters have earned their reputation as the Rebel Alliance's ultimate strike force the hard way--first in battle, the last line of defense.  Now they must make a deal with the devil herself--an enemy whose ultimate goal is their total annihilation.

It's the kind of mission only Wedge Antilles and the Rogue Squadron would dare to undertake.  Against impossible odds they will stage a daring raid into an enemy stronghold--only to be rescued from certain destruction by an unexpected ally.

Ysanne Isard, the ruthless Imperial commander, has appeared on the scene seemingly from out of nowhere.  Now she proposes a most unusual alliance, offering to help Wedge rescue his captured comrades from Imperial Warlord Admiral Krennel's sadistic prison camp.

But her offer is not without a price.  Wedge must lead Rogue Squadron in Isard's deadly struggle against an enemy made in her own image.  It's an offer Wedge would love to refuse, for Isard is certain to betray them.  But how can they leave their comrades at Krennel's mercy?  The answer is: they can't--even if it means being caught between Krennel's ruthlessness and Isard's treachery.

About this title

Review:

Michael A. Stackpole returns as author of the eighth book in the X-Wing series, taking over again after three novels from Aaron Allston. Wedge Antilles has transferred back from Wraith to Rogue Squadron, and many of the characters from Stackpole's first four books reappear, including Ysanne Isard, the villain of Book 4, The Bacta War.

Now that Grand Admiral Thrawn is dead, the New Republic wants to go after the warlords and decides to make an example of Krennel, who murdered a whole family in his rise to power. But Krennel has an unexpected ally: the treacherous Isard, whom the Rogues thought they had killed, is now plotting their downfall. She uses New Republic prisoners, with whom Rogue pilot Corran Horn was held for a while, as bait. The plot twists and turns, sometimes confusingly, as Krennel, Isard, and the Rogues try to outguess one another.

As ever in the X-Wing books, there are plenty of space battles, with Wedge Antilles, now promoted to general, leading the way. Meanwhile, the aversion Imperials feel toward nonhumans and the tensions between the various species making up the New Republic provide a couple of subplots that make this a thoughtful, action-packed installment in the series. --Liz Sourbut, Amazon.co.uk

About the Author:

Michael A. Stackpole is the New York Times bestselling author of many titles in the Star Wars universe, including many of the Star Wars X-Wing novels and the New Jedi Order: Dark Tide novels Onslaught and Ruin. When not chained to a desk madly fighting deadlines, he plays indoor soccer, rides a mountain bike, and reads, but not all at the same time. Stackpole lives in Arizona with Liz Danforth and a small pack of Cardigan Welsh corgis.

About this edition

• Publisher: Random House Worlds
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0553579037
• ISBN 13: 9780553579031
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• Number of pages: 352