Category: Fallen Order/Cal Kestis

I rank the Star Wars books that came out in 2023

Since I’m on a roll with ranking Star Wars content, I thought I’d give my highly subjective ranking of the Star Wars novels that came out in 2023. From most to least favorite, here’s my list:

The Eye of Darkness, by George Mann. It was a close contest between this one and Rise of the Red Blade, but this one was more anticipated by me and didn’t disappoint. It begins Phase 3 of the High Republic, getting back to many beloved characters from Phase 1 after the destruction of Starlight Beacon. Marchion Ro has erected a “Stormwall” around a section of the galaxy that is called The Occlusion Zone. This area is inaccessible to the rest of the galaxy, trapping many worlds behind it, along with many Jedi and Padawans. These Jedi, among them Avar Kriss and Porter Engle, are trying to help those trapped under Marchion’s rule, as well as finding a way through the Stormwall; on the other side, the Jedi, particularly Elzar Mann and Bell Zettifar, and the Republic are trying to find a way through as well. I loved every minute of it.

Rise of the Red Blade, by Delilah Dawson. Delilah Dawson is one of my favorite Star Wars authors. In her own words, she loves to write about “violent women,” lol. She wrote about Phasma’s origins in Phasma, and the Resistance spy Vi Moradi in Black Spire, which I greatly enjoyed. This one tells the story of Iskat Ikaris, a Jedi Padawan who, after Order 66, becomes an Inquisitor. Most of the book chronicles her experiences in the Jedi Order and how they, let’s say “mishandled,” Iskat and her dark side tendencies. We spend most of the book witnessing her frustration at being held back and not allowed to use her strengths in the Force. She seems to be made for battle, and her skills are extraordinary. But the Jedi are keeping secrets from her, and Iskat feels alienated and angry. We come to sympathize with her, while at the same time dreading her descent into the dark, which of course we know is coming. Very compelling story of a woman caught between worlds.

Cataclysm, by Alyssa Wong. This is an adult novel of Phase 2 of the High Republic and was a stronger installment for me than its predecessor, Convergence. It highlights the renewed violence between the two planets Eiram and E’ronoh, and the part played by the Path of the Open Hand in the war. But the main character arc is that of Axel Greylark, the disgraced son of the Chancellor, who is approached by Jedi Knight Gella Natai for help in the conflict. Axel must ultimately decide if he wants to truly help the Republic (represented by Gella, who he’s developed feelings for, and his mother, the Chancellor) or remain a part of the Path of the Open Hand–and the supposed “freedom” the group offers from the weight of his past and family name.

Path of Vengeance, by Cavan Scott. This is the companion Young Adult novel to Cataclysm, and here we get to see more closely the machinations of the Path of the Open Hand through its mysterious leader the Mother, as well as what happens with Marda and Yanna Ro, ancestors of Marchion Ro of the villainous Nihil. We see the Battle of Dalna from multiple viewpoints, both Jedi and Path members, and witness the Mother’s unleashing of the terrifying Nameless–creatures that can turn Force-users into ash. Marda’s story, in particular, is of interest, as it’s she who sows the seeds of the future Nihil. Her path from sweet, gentle believer in the Path to a cold, ruthless leader is chilling.

The Battle of Jedha (Script), by George Mann. I’m generally not into audiobooks. I know some people love them, but I have to read a book rather than listen to it to fully absorb its story. I’d much rather read the script than listen to it, and that’s what I did with the Battle of Jedha, since I didn’t want to miss the story it tells. Representatives from the warring planets of Eiram and E’ronoh have gathered on Jedha to sign a peace treaty, but it’s sabotaged by the Path of the Open Hand with an explosion. The two enemies blame each other, and their forces begin fighting in the streets. To add to the confusion, a Nameless creature has escaped and is destroying many Force-users present in the Holy City. Jedi Master Creighton Sun and Jedi Knight Aida Forte, with the help of the Guardians of the Whills, try to stop the battling armies as well as investigate who caused the explosion in the first place. This is my first audiobook script, and I enjoyed reading it; it’s like reading the script of a play, that’s all.

Tales of Light and Life, by various authors. This is a book of short stories taking place in the High Republic. Some occur during Phase 2, and some are “prequels,” of sorts, to Phase 3. I liked all of them, though some were better than others. The most important, from a plot standpoint, is “After the Fall,” by Claudia Gray, which tells a story about Bell Zettifar soon after the fall of Starlight Beacon in Phase 3, and which reveals the fate of the Wookiee Jedi Burryaga. My favorite story, though, is “A Closed Fist Has No Claws,” by Tessa Gratton, which is about what Mardo Ro is up to after the events of Phase 2, and how she sets the remnants of the Path toward their destiny as the Nihil.

Crimson Climb, by E.K. Johnston. This book is about Q’ira from the movie Solo: A Star Wars Story. I wrote about it here in one of my Updates if you’d like to read it, but basically, it’s about what happens to Q’ira after Han escapes from Corellia, but she doesn’t. It chronicles her rise through the Crimson Dawn ranks and how she becomes Dryden Vos’ lieutenant. I enjoyed the book, but it wasn’t as if I tore through it eagerly. I do think it might be the first part of a trilogy, which would be great and I’d be here for. Despite all the stories of Q’ira taking place in the comic world, I think there’s more room for her in novels, as well.

Quest for Planet X, by Tessa Gratton. The middle-grade books of the High Republic have been consistently good, nearly on par with at least the young adult entries. This one is pretty good, but not one of my favorites. It takes place during Phase 2 concurrently with the young adult book Path of Vengeance; as is often the case, it focuses on some Jedi Padawans or other young people and their stories. This one stars Jedi Padawan Rooper Natani; Skye Graf, a young member of the powerful Graf prospecting family; and Dass Leffbruck, the son of an independent prospector. Dass and Sky recruit Rooper to help them on a race between the Grafs and the San Tekkas to chart new hyperspace lanes; however, their real mission is to find the mysterious Planet X (where, incidentally, the Nameless creatures are from). However, they run into some members of The Path of the Open Hand and must decide if they’re going to help the Jedi during their fight on Dalna.

Jedi: Battle Scars, by Sam Maggs. This one excited me at first; I’m not a gamer, and so felt like I was missing out on some important Star Wars lore with Cal Kestis and his crew. I so badly wanted a novel with these characters, so I, too, could participate in their coolness, lol. But this book falls short of what I was hoping for. It wasn’t terrible; it just wasn’t that great. The romance between Merrin and the female Imperial deserter was cringe-worthy at best. I’m all for romance in Star Wars, but this was like really bad fan-fiction (and I’ve written fan-fiction, lol). The rest of the plot was fine, I suppose, but I guess I was hoping for more characterization of the main characters, probably because I don’t play the games and didn’t really know them that well. Cere, in particular, really interested me, but I was left wanting. Very much my least favorite book of the year.

So these were the Star Wars novels that came out in 2023 and my thoughts on them. Did you read any of these books? Which was your favorite? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

What I’ve Been Reading

Hello friends! It’s been awhile, as I’ve been busy with a move to a new apartment, but I always make time for reading. Here’s what I’ve been reading lately:

Station Eleven, by Hilary St. John Mandel. This is a re-read; I read it originally when it first came out, before the TV series based on it came out. I love a good dystopian novel, but this is one of my favorites. End-of-the-world stories are usually full of tropes, but this one is refreshingly original (besides the virus-kills-most of humanity-trope to begin with). It consists of alternating timelines before and after the Georgia Flu kills 99% of humanity, and begins with the death of an actor onstage: Arthur Leander, playing King Lear. Arthur dies that night, the night before the virus sweeps through the nation, and the world, but a lot of the flashbacks have to do with Arthur and his life, the people around him, and how they intersect and connect in the aftermath. Twenty years after the end, The Travelling Symphony travels through sporadic towns and communities, putting on plays, mostly Shakespeare, and playing classical music (“Because survival is insufficient”). Part of this group is Kirsten Raymonde, who had played one of Lear’s daughters as a child in Arthur’s last performance that fateful night. Kirsten is obsessed with a rare comic book that was written and drawn by Arthur’s first wife, Miranda (though Kirsten doesn’t know this). The comic, called Station Eleven, is itself symbolic of the survivors in the aftermath of the flu: like the people of the Undersea, they miss their old home and only wish to return to it. The book is what I consider a literary dystopian novel; if you’re looking for lots of action and explosions and such, you won’t find it here (though there is a sinister Prophet, who is also connected to Arthur). What you will find is a story about art and memory and home and regret and just a really great book that I can’t recommend enough. I haven’t seen the series–has anyone seen it, and would you recommend it?

Recursion, by Blake Couch. Blake Couch is one of those authors who writes crazy stories about mind-bending subjects, like alternate universes and parallel timelines (such as his book Dark Matter, which I read a few years ago). This one is about memory, and how our sensory perceptions of memory are so vital; the characters in this book can actually travel into a vivid memory (with the help of a super-tech “memory chair”) and relive the moment physically, change it so the outcome is different, and continue living along that new timeline. The way the event originally happened becomes a “dead memory.” Yeah, mind-bending. I’m not finished with it yet, I’m about three quarters done with it, but it’s enjoyable, even if I’m totally confused sometimes, lol. It’s fun, but what I call a “junk read.” I won’t remember a darn thing about it a few years from now, whereas I remember so many moments from the book above, scenes that will stay with me forever.

Jedi: Battle Scars, by Sam Maggs. My latest Star Wars read, and the latest published, just last week. I just started it, so I don’t have much to say on it right now, except that it’s based on the video game characters of Jedi: Fallen Order. I’m not a gamer, but I’ve always wanted to know more about the story of Cal Kestis and the Stinger Mantis crew. I’m such a ding-dong about video games that I didn’t realize there was a whole story involved, a story that’s a part of the canon lore, and not just characters slashing things with lightsabers, lol. This story takes place between the events of Fallen Order and the upcoming sequel to the game, Jedi: Survivor. All I know is that in this book the group encounters a defecting stormtrooper, and the Inquisitor the Fifth Brother. That’s all I need to know and I’m in. 🙂 I still won’t be playing the video games, but I’m glad I at least have the opportunity to get to know these characters in a book.

What have you been reading? Have you read any of these books, and what did you think? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!