Star Wars: Victory’s Price No-spoiler Review

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Star Wars: Victory’s Price is the third and final novel released in Alexander Freed’s Alphabet Squadron trilogy. This highly anticipated novel finally works to resolve the cliff hangers readers were left with in the previous novel, Shadow Fall.
 
The state of affairs for Alphabet Squadron is dire. Every time they’ve engaged the elite Imperial 204th Fighter Wing, known as “Shadow Wing” they’ve suffered heavy losses while inflicting significantly less damage than hoped. Twice they’ve kept Shadow Wing from completing its destructive mission, but just barely. The revelation of Yrica Quell’s complicity in Operation Cinder ultimately pushed her to abandon her squadron and reunite with her old mentor, Soran Keize, leaving Alphabet Squadron fractured.
 
The novel is set very shortly after the events in Shadow Fall, shortly before and concurrent with the battle of Jakku, the final showdown between the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant. General Hera Syndulla commands the newly acquired and reconstituted star destroyer, The Deliverance, with Wyl Lark in command of its fighter squadrons. Syndulla is on a mission to rid the galaxy of the threat of Shadow Wing once and for all, especially since it’s launched a new wave of Operation Cinder leaving destroyed and uninhabitable planets in its wake. Receiving mysterious, but welcome transmissions about Shadow Wing’s whereabouts, Syndulla and Lark are hot on the trail trying to finally catch Shadow Wing off guard. 
 
Quell’s loyalty is in question at every turn as she slides into an advisor role for the new leader of the 204th. Keize begins to share with her his reservations about the Empire’s objectives after Endor. With the new wave of Operation Cinder targeting less-loyal Imperial factions, Keize began to question the logistics of the late emperor’s contingency plan. How many Sentinel Droids were sent to deliver the Emperor’s message beyond the grave? How did the droids choose which commanders to entrust with the message and which to exclude? With the final confrontation at Jakku looming, Keize’s search for answers to these questions fuels a personal mission to attack the heart of the Emperor’s malice. 
 
One of the original allures of the trilogy for me was the concept of all of my favorite starfighters forming a single, unique unit. While it was thrilling in the first novel to see these fighters work together, the squadron fighting as a whole was non-existent in Victory’s Price.This definitely was a bit of a let-down. But Alexander Freed makes up for it in delivering captivating character development, particularly with Yrica Quell and Soran Keize. Additionally, Freed does a great job of not holding back punches when diving into the brutality, spontaneity, and chaos of war. The novel’s name focuses on one of its central themes: there are no true victors in war, because even victory comes at a nearly intolerable price.
 
This final novel solidified for me the suspicion that Freed secretly wishes he were part of an elite Tie Fighter squadron. The respect and reference he shows for Shadow Wing throughout the novel creates a level of confusing empathy, and even nods to Karl Jung’s Shadow psychology, begging the reader to ask the question, “If I were in their shoes, would I have acted any differently?” Of all the recurring jokes about stormtroopers incompetence and terrible aim, Freed presented an Imperial unit that I frankly would be proud to be a part of. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if the idea for the novel came from watching this fan-made video featuring the Empire’s navy functioning at its best.
 
All in all, Star Wars: Victory’s Price is definitely a worthy read for all Star Wars fans. If you are looking for a novel about your favorite Star Wars characters, or lightsaber battles between Jedi and Sith, this probably isn’t the novel for you. However, pick this novel up if you want to explore the moral ambiguity of war within a Star Wars context, or experience larger-scale strategy and tactics between New Republic and elite Imperial forces.
 
Thanks to Disney Lucasfilm Press for the review sample. 
 
 
 
 

BBTS News: Iron Spider, Transformers, Spawn, WandaVision, Mortal Kombat, Mechagodzilla, DC Multiverse, Star Wars, Anime & More!

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NEW PRE-ORDERS

Revoltech presents the Iron Spider, a figure inspired by the suit coveted and worn by several Marvel characters, first appearing in The Amazing Spider-Man and donned by Peter Parker! This Ramjet figure is inspired by his 1993 G2 toy release, featuring his special G2 black, purple and blue deco. The Scarlet Edge was a brutal and peerless Warrior from an ancient feudal society. He was master of combat in all forms, until his savage death in a war against an Army of the Undead. Enraged at his defeat, he returns to Earth to gain his revenge as Mandarin Spawn. This Mortal Kombat figure is based on Kung Lao’s appearance in Mortal Kombat 2 and will include two swap out portraits, multiple interchangeable hands, a removable hat, a hat with a slash effect, a blood effect piece, and the Rabbit from his Friendship. From Aoshima comes a new collaboration combining Godzilla and Evangelion as they have never been seen before. One of the first in this new line of pre-painted, snap-together model kits is Mechagodzilla (Type-3 Kiryu EVA Unit-01 Color Ver.). From the hit series Pacific Rim: The Black comes a Robot Spirits figure of the main Mark-3 Jaeger, Atlas Destroyer! From the movie Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge, the final form of Frieza’s brother, Cooler is brought to the S.H.Figuarts series.

NEW ARRIVALS

Masters of the Universe: Origins Wave 1 has arrived along with He-Man and Skeletor! The iconic Pteranodon and Tiger Raptor join the 6-inch scale Amber Collection of figures featuring dinosaurs and characters seen in the Jurassic Park movies! Give your figures some firepower with these Firepower action figure accessories! These special edition WFC-GS17 Shattered Glass Ratchet and Optimus Prime figures are inspired by the Shattered Glass comics created in partnership with IDW which depict an alternate universe where the heroic Decepticons battle the evil Autobots. Kidrobot is excited to announce Itchy and Scratchy to their Kidrobot x Simpsons collection. Mythic Legions, by the award winning Four Horsemen Studios, is an expansive fantasy world of action figures that continues to grow with Dorina Onoris being inducted into the All-Star Series. The T-1000 is the third Ultimate from the 1991 Terminator 2 film, and the perfect companion piece to other Ultimate series figures.

Star Wars: The High Republic: Into The Dark No-spoiler Review

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It’s only March and already the third novel of The High Republic series has been released. In December 2020, Disney announced a staggering list of new Star Wars media that will be debuting over the next few years. While many of the new projects continue to explore the Skywalker Saga, The High Republic series is the first to branch into a completely new timeline of the Star Wars universe. 
 
Just as exciting as the continuation of the story itself is the story teller: Claudia Gray. Gray’s previous Star Wars novels are consistently at the top of my list, only rivaled by the Thrawn series from Timothy Zahn. Among her many accomplishments are Lost Stars, the novel that tells the story of the original trilogy through the perspective of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ star-crossed lovers, and Master And Apprentice, the novel that explores the original Jedi prophecies and the backstory of Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Count Dooku. 
 
The novel is set concurrent with its two predecessors, more than 200 years before The Phantom Menace when The Republic was at its height. During an era of peace, prosperity, and progress, the Galactic Republic, in close partnership with the Jedi Order, works to expand its influence across the frontiers of the galaxy into the Outer Rim. In a grand gesture of unity, peace, and collaboration, The Republic is about to unveil the Starlight Beacon to the galaxy. The first of its kind, the massive space station was built to extend all of what’s best about the republic into the Outer Rim worlds, including the largest contingent of Jedi outside of Coruscant. 
 
Padawan Reath Silas is among the first of the Jedi contingent sent from Coruscant to Starlight Beacon. Their trip, however, is cut short due to the Great ‘Legacy Run’ Disaster (detailed in The High Republic: Light of the Jedi). Stranded with several other ships in the same predicament, they come upon an old and mysterious space station with ties to the Amaxine Warriors. They use the station as a hub to allocate resources among the stranded vessels and hole up until they receive word that hyperspace travel is safe again. But Silas and his Jedi companions are put to the test dealing with high tensions among the stranded travelers, investigating the growing threat of the Nihil, and confronting the awakening of a foreboding presence perhaps more sinister than all other threats combined. 
 
My review could be summed up with the colloquialism: third time’s a charm. In my opinion, the first two novels of The High Republic series failed to really excite me about this new era of Star Wars story-telling. However, Gray’s Into The Dark has finally set the stage for a story-telling era that can rival The Skywalker Saga. Not only did this novel elaborate on the growing galactic threat posed by the Nihil, but introduced a whole new galactic threat at least as sinister and possibly more so. Additionally, Gray breathed life into a few very interesting new Jedi characters: Reeth Silas, Dez Ryden, Orla Jareni, and Cohmac Vitus. I actually felt like I got to know these characters and am excited to see their continued arc in future stories. I didn’t really feel that way about any of the characters in the first two novels of The High Republic series.
 
I ended my review of The High Republic: Light Of The Jedi with a wish, “here’s to hoping that the following novels can provide a bit more sustenance.” Into The Dark completely delivered on that wish. This was a fantastically written novel! I am now on the edge of my seat to consume more of the story about how the Republic and the Jedi Order at their height dealt with the rising sinister opposing forces, threatening their expansion and stability. 
 
Thanks to Disney Lucasfilm Press for the review sample. 
 
 
 
 

BBTS News: Defenders of the Earth, Predator, Vitruvian H.A.C.K.S., Marvel Legends, Dragon Ball, BTTF, Monster Hunter, Dorohedoro & More!

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New Pre-orders

The Ultimate Assassin action figure stands nearly a foot tall and has two interchangeable heads, two pairs of hands, and a detachable wrist blade and wrist cannon. Based on the characters from the beloved 80s cartoon, Defenders of the Earth, which brought Flash Gordon, Mandrake the Magician, and The Phantom together to battle against evil supervillain Ming the Merciless! Two new BBTS shared exclusives are up from the Vitruvian H.A.C.K.S. series. Goku Black in Super Saiyan Rose form returns to the S.H.Figuarts line in a special colorway, featuring a shiny pink metallic finish on his hair. Melina and Red Guardian are together in the Marvel Legends Series with a new two-pack. NECA is thrilled to present the Ultimate Audition Marty McFly from Back To The Future featuring the officially licensed likeness of Michael J. Fox. Wrecker, now part of The Black Series, has brute strength that makes him capable of lifting a clone gunship without any help. His muscle and size are matched only by his temper… and an equally pronounced sense of humor. The fearsome Thunder Wolf Wyvern Zinogre joins S.H.MonsterArts! Exquisite sculpting captures its sharp talons (which come in two variations) and distinctive four-legged gait.

New Arrivals

Ahsoka Tano and Count Dooku are in stock now! The G.I. Joe Classified Series Red Ninja figure comes ready for action, with multiple points of articulation for high poseability and character-inspired accessories, including a katana. Along with the Red Ninja figure, Destro and Snake Eyes are in stock and ready for action. The S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball Z Bardock action figure is here! Sculpted to faithfully capture his appearance in the classic TV special, the set includes multiple expression parts and effect parts, and he can be displayed with or without his scouter. Based on the likeness of Spider-Man actor Tom Holland in the movie, this Hot Toys figure features a newly developed masked head sculpt that exposes part of face with three pairs of interchangeable Spider-Man eye pieces to create numerous Spider-Man’s expressions, a newly tailored black stealth suit with intricate details, and not to mention a variety of spider-web shooting effect parts for dynamic poses. Optimus Primal and three Core figures have arrived in the War for Cybertron: Kingdom series. The adorably creepy Toony Terrors line continues with series 5, bringing even more stylized horror icons into the mix!