empires_end_coverBy Chuck Wendig

Century, out now

The confrontation between the New Republic and the remnants of the Empire reaches its climax – above a planet that will become all too familiar – and not everyone will make it out alive…

It’s not quite the bloodbath of our heroes that marked the end of Rogue One (come on, that’s not a spoiler two months after the film’s release before anyone complains!) but Chuck Wendig reminds us of the high cost of war – how death can appear suddenly and bring out sides of people that they didn’t necessarily know that they possessed. The battle scenes come towards the end of the best of his three Star Wars novels to date, a skilful juggling of plotlines involving the politics of the New Republic as well as the Empire, characters balancing the needs of justice and revenge, epic space battles featuring extremely unconventional tactics, and Mr Bones committing as much mayhem as the author can allow. There’s plenty of Easter eggs for the avid Star Wars fan, as well as more elements set up for The Force Awakens (and possibly beyond).

Those who go in to find fault with this book – as they appear to have done with its two predecessors – will find that Wendig hasn’t altered his style and tone in any way: love in all its forms (whether it’s between mother and son, man and man, husband and wife) is central to the tale he’s telling. The present tense continues to give the story an immediacy that drives it forward constantly – but there are interludes as we find out what else is going on around the galaxy, and moments of pure intellectual debate as the morality of both war and peace come under discussion.

Verdict: In the closing chapters, Wendig sets up multiple plotlines for future tales – and based on this trilogy, I hope that he’s the storyteller who brings them to life. 9/10

Paul Simpson