Hello friends! Still reading about the Star War, so here’s the latest:
Empire-sized SPOILERS!!!
I recently finished “Edge of the Abyss,” by Rebecca Roanhorse, the second book in the proposed Reign of the Empire trilogy. If you’re a fan of Andor, these books are for you. They’re definitely for me, because I loved this book, as well as its predecessor, “The Mask of Fear,” by Alexander Freed. Check out my thoughts on that book here.
This one takes place roughly thirteen years after the first (as Leia Organa and Leida Mothma are both 13 years old). Mon Mothma is still trying to make a difference in the Senate (she’s had to get real tricky), and Bail Organa is doing the same, although he’s beginning to acquire contacts that oppose the Empire. Saw is still doing what Saw does best, which is inflict violence upon Imperial targets.
This time his target is a new Imperial Governor on the planet Inusagi. There is a ceremony that he and his team disrupt and blow up, but one of his team members gets caught. Saw and his people have a code: “Better cold than captured.” Meaning, if one of them gets caught, the others will do them a favor and kill them before they can be tortured for information. Well, one of the team–a woman named Nankry–gets caught, and Saw can’t get to her quickly enough to kill her. He and the others escape, but he feels he failed Nankry–and her capture needs to be dealt with before she gives up too much information.
Saw goes to Bail for help. He doesn’t believe Bail has the nerve to do what needs to be done in most cases, but he thinks Bail has the kind of pull to get to Nankry in prison. Bail agrees to help, but of course he wants to try to keep Nankry alive and just get her better prison conditions with no torture. That means a trial on Inusagi rather than in an Imperial court. He contacts Vot Integrity, a legal bigwig in the Empire who has the same sympathies as Bail, and he pulls some strings to get Nankry a lawyer. The whole thing is supposed to slow down the process, lessen Nankry’s abuse, and possibly get that trial on Inusagi. Saw doesn’t have much hope at any rate, and has a plan of his own.
Another thread deals with Mon Mothma and, of all things, a pop singer named Quanaliko. Her daughter, Leida, is particularly taken with Quanaliko, and wants to go to a concert for her birthday. Mon is concerned that the singer has been compromised by COMPNOR and its “sub-adult” Imperial propaganda department, which is correct. Quanaliko herself is more than a pop singer; she’s dealt with black market weapons and other dirty dealings. Mon knows this and uses it to get the singer to put on a charity show, with the money going to some education fund.
This subplot wouldn’t be that interesting if it didn’t also include Anton Kreegyr, the guy from Andor that Luthen Rael decided to sacrifice for his own purposes. Anton once worked for Quanaliko and knows about her dealings; he decides he wants to stick it to the Empire and asks her for money for weapons. She declines, but Luthen, who of course knows Anton through one of his personas, persuades Anton to go to Ghorman and get in with some student protesters who might be ready to take the next step.
This leads us to the third thread, which focuses on Chemish, a character from the first novel, who is an ISB agent. They’re sent to Ghorman to investigate the student element at the University of Palmo to see if there’s anything to be concerned about. At first there’s only student protests and lectures about freedom, and Chemish develops feelings for his mark, Fenro. The students have been infiltrated by Kleya, and between her and Luthen’s efforts, Anton shows up and gets them to agree to steal some weapons from Quanaliko on Canto Bight–on the night of the charity concert when Mon and Leida, as well as Bail and Leia, will be there.
There’s a smaller fourth thread, with one of Saw’s former partisans, Karama from the first novel. She’s left Saw’s group, and created a new identity and a new life. Now she’s pregnant, and married–to the lawyer Bail sends to help Nankry, who knows nothing of her former life. Saw pushes her to help him end Nankry’s life, through her husband. She has to make a decision about what she owes to Saw, and also to her former friend, Nankry.
All these threads weave together to make a great story, though it’s a surprisingly quick read. It seems complex, but it’s not as long as the first book, and gallops right along. I liked seeing the growing tense relationship between Mon and Leida, as well as the wonderful relationship between Bail and Leia. The two young girls couldn’t be more different, and it’s heartbreaking to see Mon realize her daughter is “vapid and shallow,” as opposed to Leia, who is on track to be a great leader.
Now I have to wait for the next book (“From the Ashes”) which comes out next summer, written by Fran Wilde. I think it takes place right before the events of the first season of Andor. As I’ve said, if you’re a fan of Andor and love political thrillers, these books are for you, and I highly recommend them.
