So I sat down the day before Force Awakens (don't worry, no spoilers here), and read Aftermath in a day to prepare myself. Finished it within a few hours. 
 A few observations present themselves. 
 1) Aftermath was totally unnecessary for enjoying Force Awakens 
 2) Aftermath is an utterly delightful novel that gets what it means to be Star Wars. Lots of chases and action, lots of character arcs, fun quips, and the most joyous supporting character I've seen in a while in Mister Bones. 
 There's also a bunch of short, 3-6 six page vignettes interspersed within that give us a good look at the universe. Some are great, although one feels awkwardly placed after an important emotional beat. 
 I've seen the depths licensed novels can sink to. I remember leaving my copy of The Crystal Star in a cardboard box marked "FREE" outside a used bookstore. Wendig gets it. Aftermath is worthy of the name Star Wars and a helluva time. 
 And when the droid rolled a "7," I laughed so hard that I woke my children.