Galaxy’s Edge, Part V

I threatened to write an elaborate thinkpiece on this book, and since no-one talked me off the cliff, here it is. I think Im going to go full spoiler here, because I doubt I need to talk anyone into reading the 9th book in a series Ive been recommending for a year. If you havent read the book, dont read on unless you want me to ruin the ending for you.

The end has come.

In Message for the Dead, I thought the end was upon the galaxy, but Goth Sullus used his connection to the Crux to stem the tide, vanquishing the murderous and hateful Cybar and binding them to his will. Alas, it turns out that his victory was to be short-lived, and he would not succeed at building an Empire to last a thousand years. At the very moment of his triumph, his dreams turned to ashes in his mouth, and his power deserted him.

Unfortunately, despite his advanced age, Goth Sullus forgot to heed the advice of the venerable 100 Tips for Evil Overlords #22, do not consume an energy field bigger than your head, no matter how much power is at stake. [on a side note, I see that the author of the evil overlord lists last name is Anspach. Coincidence?]

Of course, I am kidding. Goth Sullus pretty clearly knows most of these things. Sullus did not make any cartoonish mistakes. He was just undone by his moral failings, as nemesis follows hubris. It would be easy to condemn Sullus as a monster, which he is, but he is also genuinely a great man. Thus his end, when it comes, is all the more tragic.

I wish to focus here on Sullus, in part because I am fascinated by his character, but also because in retrospect, the entirety of the first nine books of the Galaxys Edge series turns upon Goth Sullus and his actions. Even the Battle of Kublar was but the preamble [with the collusion of X] to his campaign to bring justice to the galaxy.

If we now turn to the events of Retribution, one of the key threads is the final temptation of Goth Sullus. In Message for the Dead, the dread secret of the Cybar was heavily hinted, but here in Retribution, the truth is laid bare: the Cybar are but manifestations of demons and devils seeking to invade and despoil the galaxy.

Blinded as he is by pride and ambition, Sullus cannot see this. Even though preventing this was why Sullus went seeking power! As surprising as this may seem, given his history, the temptation of Goth Sullus proceeds in a plausible fashion. Like the target of the apprentice devil Screwtape, the ultimate masters of the Cybar proceed from flattery, to practical advice, to offers of service, to demands of fealty. Reading this, I thought it felt about right. The whisperings of temptation do sound like this. From my own small experience, this felt real.

I had hoped for redemption for Sullus. In the end, he had spent far too long indulging his fantasies of power and revenge to act in time. Goth Sullus was vain-glorious and prideful, easy pickings for the masters of deceit. Casper might have resisted, but that persona was long diminished by the time he had completed his transformation into Sullus. Once he [Sullus] realized his danger, he [Casper] was too far gone to resist effectively. Virtue is simply what we habitually do, and for Sullus, his habits betrayed him in the end. When Wraith walked up and put a bullet in his head, it was the best thing that could have happened to him at that point. We can perhaps nonetheless hope that his final resistance will count in his favor at the final judgment.

The end of Goth Sullus brings a fitting end to the first season of Galaxys Edge. Most everyone who deserved a bullet has gotten one. Order, of a sort, has been restored to the galaxy. Things will never be as they were, but life will go on.

There are just enough loose threads left for the authors to spin up another round of books, but I felt satisfied at the end of this. Each book in the series had its own feel, its own good moments, and then in the end it all came together cleanly. This was a hell of a good read, and I hope everyone else enjoyed the ride as much as I did.

The authors told us that Galaxys Edge book 8 Message for the Dead – was the final book in the series. They said that book 9 Retribution was the spiritual successor. Thats HOGWASH! Saying Book 9 is the spiritual successor is like saying that The Return of the King is the spiritual successor to the Two Towers. Spiritual successor makes it sound optional its not. You need to read it if you want the true end to the story (at least so far as Galaxys Edge Season 1 goes).

Let me repeat: Retribution is not optional. It is a must read if you want the real end of the story. Spiritual successor makes it sound like its going to be some kind of introspective, emotional journey. Well, to the extent that you have time to reflect about life decisions while getting shot at by Sullus loving fanboys and revived Savage techno-monstrosities. Try to be introspective while driving 200 mph into oncoming traffic its like that. Its full to the brim of KTF.

In other words, read it! You wont be disappointed.

This is an excellent finish to one of the best military sci-fi series I’ve read, especially in recent history. Or at least, it’s a good finish to this particular story arc (there’s plenty of room for sequels). Almost all the story threads that Anspach and Cole have been weaving get tied up in a pretty nice bow here, even including loose ends from all the way back in the first book.

All that said, as an individual book this book flows well by itself too. The pacing is just about perfect as it builds up towards a final confrontation on utopian. There are a number of cool moments with Wraith doing what he does best, and even some scares that come from a skilled use of suspense and setting. We even get a scene of Exo showing off his talents with a missile launcher. And the overall effect is to keep the pages flying. Would highly recommend.

I’ve read from the beginning to the end. I’ve been with the series from book one by chance randomly searching for new sci fi to read. I’ve watched many series attempt to end or make me care about their storylines while failing miserably. That being said, I was wholly happy with the end of the 9 book series. I cared about the characters, I felt loss when they were lost. Honestly, the main antagonist blows Darth Vader’s origin story out of the water. Goth Sullus has to be my favorite villain thus far.

Anyway, the book flows amazingly, I pounded out 100 pages a day happily. The ending was good and my only issue is there isn’t more. That’s a greed issue, the content was quality.

Overall, if you’re frustrated with Star Wars, if you’re sick of unrealistic super squads who cannot die while standing in a maelstrom of bullets; or if you just really love sci fi books and are looking for a good read, pick up this series.

KTF all the way. Even some sensitive moments with Prisma that points to season two. Some satisfying vengeance, some painful loss. And all the way the Legion finding a way, against all odds, to KTF. The one thing I thought was off was the occasional use of contemporary slang. At one point a character says some along the lines of “Yo! I’m all up in that” another time someone says “Rock and Roll”. Earth has been abandoned for thousands of years and is now barely a memory. Highly doubtful they’d be using such slang. Brought me slightly out of the story a few times. A minor objection in what is a vastly exciting story