Wedge’s Gamble is the second book in the acclaimed X-Wing series of novels by Michael Stackpole.
The stakes are high as Rogue Squadron is sent to infiltrate and tactically evaluate Coruscant in hopes of taking it from the Empire. Wedge has to lead his team in this undercover mission, even while a spy is hoping to destroy them. Meanwhile, Ysanne Isard is plotting to make sure if it’s taken, the Alliance finds a nasty surprise waiting.
Wedge’s Gamble is a terrific tale where we get to see the intrigue and tensions of the group split up, undercover, and mingling with the locals. It also shows some less than stellar ethical plans that cause much debate, such as freeing Black Sun criminals from Kessel to cause the Empire headaches.
There is some on ground action as well as amazing piloting involved in Wedge’s Gamble. Indeed, Wedge takes a huge chance, gambling on friendship that his instincts on who to trust are accurate.
It’s a real page turner, but it doesn’t stand alone unless you want the cliffhanger ending to be your last glimpse that leaves some characters in desperate straits.
The previous book is X-Wing Rogue Squadron and the follow-up is The Krytos Trap.
Review
This is a great story. Set in a galaxy of amazing Force powers and good vs evil, we see the more common folk who have no special powers. The top fighter pilots of the Republic going above and beyond to take reclaim the capital of the Empire from evil. The mystery and intensity never let up. Once I read this one I had to get into the next, because I couldn’t leave off there.
Wedge’s Gamble Continuity and Lore
The Gand is the oddest standout here. It’s established in Tales of the Bounty Hunter that Gand have lungs and in that, Zuckuss’s lungs are damaged. In this, Gand do not breathe. This was later retconned as there being to different subsets of Gand, one that breathed and the other that didn’t.
Black Sun is made famous by Shadows of the Empire when Vader was all out to destroy the criminal organization that dealt in slavery, spice and other vices. They also appear in Darth Maul: Shadowhunter, Darth Maul the comic arc, and SWTOR.
Corran Horn of course, stars in his own novel, I,Jedi set after this series.
This adventure in particular likely is inspiration for Wraith Squadron, the X-Wing sequel series.
Mirax Terrik first appeared in X-Wing the Phantom Affair, followed by the first X-Wing Rogue Squadron novel.
Winter first appears in the original Thrawn trilogy by Timothy Zahn. She also is in the X-Wing comics.
Like Wedge Antillies, Tycho Celchu first appeared in the movies – in his case, Return of the Jedi. He is the sole member of the current team, besides Wedge, that was in the original squadron.
Kessel is revisited in the Jedi Academy trilogy, particularly Jedi Search by Kevin J. Anderson
