Andrew's Review of X-wing: Solo Command

4/5 Rancors - Solo Command is the seventh book in the excellent Star Wars: X-wing series and the third by author Aaron Allston. In this entry, Wraith Squadron continues to pursue Warlord Zsinj and his fearsome Super Star Destroyer Iron Fist. Helping the Wraiths out are their teammates in Rogue Squadron and several other fighter groups, all under the able command of General Han Solo. Han has been pursuing Zsinj fruitlessly for months on end, and he is anxious to end this battle and return to Coruscant and Princess Leia. However, every time he manages to engage Zsinj in battle Zsinj simply slips through his fingers.

In light of this, a new plan is developed. Evidence shows Zsinj has been tracking the activities of the Millennium Falcon closely and making plans based on its movements. The New Republic task force develops a copy of the Falcon, the cleverly named Millennium Falsehood. The Falsehood begins moving from system, seemingly to stir up pro-New Republic sentiments and local rebellions against the Imperial remnants, but in reality attempting to draw Zsinj out for a final confrontation.

As in the last two books, Allston's greatest strength is his characterizations. The pilots are easily differentiated and the reader quickly comes to care for them. Particularly moving in Solo Command is the relationship between former Imperial spy Lara Notsil and tormented pilot Myn Donos. Lara's relationship with her astromech Tonin and their plot involving the mouse droids on the Iron Fist are priceless. Allston also further deepens Piggy's story as we visit a Binring Biomedical facility on Saffalore where he was biologically altered, and we meet several other sentients in the book's climax who have undergone similar traumatic transformations.

Similarly to the sixth book, Iron Fist, I found the plot of this volume to be a bit disjointed and unfocused. Also comparable to every book in this series, the various disparate plot pieces eventually lead to a spectacular conclusion. Zsinj is forced to employ every tactic in his arsenal in an attempt to save the Iron Fist and retain his grip on power. I found Zsinj in these three X-wing books by Allston to be an entertaining break from the typical Star Wars villain. He comes across as weaker and really, nicer than what I'm accustomed to. I wouldn't rank him as one of the most engaging antagonists of the Expanded Universe but he does present a nice contrast to Grand Admiral Thrawn, Admiral Daala, Ysanne Isard, and others of their ilk.

I thoroughly enjoyed Solo Command. Allston's three entries in the series thus far feel more standalone than Stackpole's earlier four, and where that may mean the plots have less focus, it also gives Allston ample room to provide the reader with some very memorable characters to root for. There is plenty of humor scattered throughout this book and overall it is a highly entertaining read.