Why I Love the High Republic

Light of the Jedi kicks of the High Republic.

If you follow this blog, you’ll know that I love the High Republic, the publishing initiative about the Jedi and the Republic at their height that’s been going on for the past couple of years. Besides the fact that there are many talented writers telling this massive story, there are many reasons why I love it, and I thought I’d talk about them here.

It’s Jedi-centered. I love pretty much everything about Star Wars, but my favorite thing about it is the Jedi. The Jedi and the Force are what define Star Wars for me. And the High Republic books are very Jedi-centric, telling the story of them at their very best, at a time when the Republic, too, is at its height. The Jedi in the prequels, while still very cool, had fallen down a slippery slope away from their ideals, and allowed themselves to be deceived by Darth Sidious. But what were they like when the Sith were still in hiding, when the Republic was expanding its reach, when they were sure of their place in the galaxy? When they stood for defending the innocent, serving the citizens of the galaxy, and helping those in need? How did they get from these ideal Jedi to the flawed ones we see in the prequels? This is that story.
The Jedi aren’t so rigid with their beliefs and are more forgiving. The prequel Jedi are presented as celibate monks that forbid attachments. And while this true in a sense for the High Republic Jedi as well, they aren’t so rigid about such things. Or rather, they’re more forgiving in these areas. For example, it’s a known and accepted thing for Padawans to often experiment with sex and relationships before they take the Jedi vow. Avar Kriss and Elzar Mann from Phase 1 had done this as Padawans. The reasoning for this, I believe, is for the Padawans to truly understand what they would be giving up once they take the vow–and decide if that’s what they want to do. Once they are Jedi Knights, they are expected to choose the Force over relationships, to commit to the Jedi Path. (And Elzar, even years later, is still having trouble with his feelings for Avar). If they cannot truly commit, however, they are free to leave the Order for a time to figure it all out. And then come back when they’re ready. Master Kantam Sy did this, leaving for a year, taking on a lover, and travelling with a circus (!). He came back when he decided to choose the Force over anything else. Attachments aren’t forbidden–it’s only natural, as a living being, to form attachments; but as a Jedi, you can’t let such attachments take hold over you. It’s a form of not letting your emotions control you, obviously. When someone–your Master or Padawan, or another Jedi, or anyone you care for–dies, you’re expected to grieve, but you can’t live there. You have to let them go, as they are now a part of the Force. Wayseekers are another interesting aspect of this time. If you feel you need to leave the Order and study the Force on your own, you are allowed to do that, with the Order’s approval. Other things, like fancier robes (and more sober mission robes), more personalized lightsabers (Vernestra Rwoh even has a light-whip, and Master Silandra Sho has a lightsaber and a shield) are characteristics of this time. Flexibility and understanding are hallmarks of the Jedi in the High Republic.

Silandra Sho with her shield on her back.

It’s a different time-frame. The first Phase of the High Republic takes place 150 years before the events of The Phantom Menace. Phase 2 takes place another 100 or so years before that. So we see a galaxy that’s a bit different from what we’re familiar with. The Republic is still trying to expand its reach to the Outer Rim, to bring in new worlds and create more hyperspace lanes. We see more of the San Tekkas and Grafs, rival families who are hyperspace prospectors paving new routes throughout the galaxy. Communication lines aren’t perfect; it’s often difficult to contact those in the Outer Rim, due to lack of or malfunctioning communication buoys. Republic Pathfinder teams, made up of a Jedi and their Padawan, a pilot, a medic, and a communications droid, explore the Outer Rim to set up communications with new worlds or help those in need. It feels more Wild West, lol.
New and interesting villains. With the Sith still in hiding, the creators had to come up with a new and interesting villain. In Phase 1, it is the Nihil, a sort of space-Viking group that is violent and who take what they want without regard to anyone else. Most of the group are uninteresting thugs, but it is headed by a character named Marchion Ro, who is much more complex. He is very mysterious and raises a lot of questions in Phase 1, especially as to his past and his family’s history with the Jedi. It becomes more clear in Phase 2, with The Path of the Open Hand, a Force-cult (who believe the Force should not be manipulated by the Jedi or anyone else) that is the precursor to the Nihil. The Path is led by the Mother, another mysterious figure who discovers the Leveller, a creature that can strike incredible fear into the Jedi and turn them into husks. The Path, I think, will eventually come under the control of Marda Ro, an ancestor of Marchion. I’m curious to see how things will turn out in Phase 3 and how the Jedi will overcome this formidable foe. Oh, also in Phase 1, the Jedi encounter the Drengir, a meat-eating plant monster, lol.
Some familiar characters. The High Republic has some familiar characters who are long-lived, like Yoda and Yaddle. Yoda, especially, plays a small role in the books, although he is there at some key moments and is a rather comforting presence. He is much more present in the High Republic comics, only a few of which I have read (I can’t keep up with it all, lol). Yaddle plays a larger role in Cataclysm, and I really enjoyed getting to know her better, especially after her appearance in Tales of the Jedi. It’s nice to have familiar characters show up, to anchor you in the world, which states, “Yes, you are in the world of Star Wars.”

These are some of the main reasons I love The High Republic and why it’s been such a satisfying journey so far. There have been books I loved and some I didn’t like as much, but the overall story arc is something I’m totally invested in. Path of Vengeance, the last book of Phase 2 is out now, and then Phase 3 will begin in the fall. I can’t wait!

“We are all the Republic.”

“For Light and Life!”

Have you enjoyed The High Republic? What’s your favorite aspect of it? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Some High Republic Fan Art

Hello friends! I’ve been busy lately taking care of my 87-year-old dad who fell a few weeks ago and was in the hospital for a bit and is now in rehab. As I often do when I want a quick, fun post, I thought I’d put together another fan art showcase, this time from the High Republic. Enjoy!

This one is from one of my favorite artists, Jake Bartok. Here he’s brought to life characters from the latest adult High Republic novel, Convergence. On the top is Jedi Knight Gella Nattai, and to the left is Axel Greylark. On the bottom is Phan-tu Zenn from Eiram, and next to him is Xiri from E’ronoh. Phase 2, Wave 1.

Here’s some concept art of Jedi Knight Silandra Shoh, from the middle grade novel Quest for the Hidden City, which I’m reading right now. She’s unique in that in addition to a lightsaber, she carries a Force shield, which is pretty cool. Phase 2, Wave 1.

Here’s one of Bell Zettifar and Ember, because I love them. Phase 1.

At first I thought this was Ty Yorrick, the former Jedi who is now a “monster hunter.” But Ty has a purple lightsaber. So I believe it is Indeera Stokes, Bell’s new Master. Both women are Tholothians. Phase 1.

Elzar Mann and Avar Kriss embrace after the events of The Fallen Star, in which Starlight Beacon, helmed by their best friend, Stellan Gios, falls into the sea on Barazza and is destroyed. Phase 1, Wave 3.

star the rebel by jgss0109 on deviantart.

Have you read any High Republic books? Do you have a favorite character? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello my friends, and happy weekend!

I’ve been continuing to read Convergence, by Zoraida Cordova, the adult novel in the first wave of Phase 2 High Republic books. I’m enjoying it, but as an adult novel, it doesn’t seem to have the same scope as other adult HR books. Instead of the usual galaxy-hopping, it takes place mostly on one, or at most, two planets. Add to this its focus on a group of young people, and it seems like another YA novel. That’s fine, it’s a good book, just not what I expected. I have a feeling this first wave of books is setting up the scene for the second wave, where things will possibly come to a head. I’ll write more about it when I finish it.

A story of a boy and his dog and another world.

On Kindle, I downloaded Stephen King’s latest, Fairy Tale. I don’t read all of King’s books, but once in a while he comes out with one that particularly appeals to me. The last one was Sleeping Beauties, and before that, The Dark Tower series (and I heard a Dark Tower series may be in the works for Prime, for which I am very excited). Fairy Tale is about a teenager named Charlie Reade who gets involved in helping out an old man named Howard Bowditch and his faithful dog, Radar. Bowditch has been hiding a secret for many years on his property: a hole in the ground in his backyard with spiraling steps that lead to another world. King really takes his time setting this all up and I’m just getting to the other world, about 80 pages in. I have no idea what this might be leading to and I can’t wait to find out!

I haven’t gotten back to Poldark yet, but in the meantime I’m rewatching the Obi-Wan Kenobi series (for the fourth? fifth? time, lol). This came about because, during one of my husband’s scrolling sessions through Youtube on our TV, he came across the second lightsaber duel between Obi-Wan and Vader in that show. He hasn’t seen the show (he’s a very casual Star Wars fan, doesn’t know much about the prequels, and was unimpressed with the first episode that I made him watch). But he does enjoy battle/lightsaber duel scenes, so we watched. And this, of course, got me in the mood to watch the show again. Because I LOVE this show. While perhaps not as technically brilliant as Andor, it’s the one that gets me in the feels the most. And since I’ll be getting the Obi-Wan comic next week, it seems fitting.

There are a couple of Star Wars trailers that came out this past week that I’d like to note. I’m very excited about The Bad Batch Season Two trailer, the second one we’ve gotten, and it gives us more to chew on and anticipate. In particular, I love that Cody will be in the show. Fans have long wondered what happened to him after Order 66, and now we get to find out. He’s shown talking to Crosshair, and mentioning that a lot of clone troopers are questioning their orders. I’m hoping this means that Cody is, too, and will eventually join with Rex in fighting the Empire. We see Gungi, the Wookiee Jedi Padawan from Clone Wars, and it’s exciting to see a surviving Jedi in the show (and maybe more?). Rex, and Bail Organa, and some new characters. Maybe Ahsoka? Ahsoka doesn’t need to be in everything, mind you, but it wouldn’t bother me, lol. I’m excited to see Echo exhorting Hunter for them to do more, to help fight the Empire. I’m hoping Echo has a bit more to do this season. It all looks fantastic, and I can’t wait until January 4th, when we get the first two episodes.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not a gamer at all, but I did watch the Jedi: Survivor trailer, the Star Wars game that is a sequel to Jedi: Fallen Order. I’ve always been very interested in Cal Kestis’ story, and while I read a version of his story somewhere, and maybe even watched a Youtube version, I still felt like I was missing out. I’m glad gamers are getting more gaming fun from Cal and his crew, but it’s the book that drops the same week called Jedi: Battle Scars that I’m most looking forward to. I’m hoping you don’t need to know a lot about the game to enjoy the book, but just in case, I’ll watch some more Youtube summaries to get reacquainted with the characters. Both the game and the book drop in March of next year.

That’s it this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Path of Deceit: Character Gallery

I’m going to admit right off the bat that I didn’t have the energy to do a proper “review” of the first book of The High Republic Phase 2, Path of Deceit, by Justina Ireland and Tessa Gratton. But I did love the book, so instead I’m doing a little tour of the characters through images, which seemed a lot more fun to me.

Kevmo Zink. Kevmo is a Jedi Padawan, a Pantoran who has an exuberant and outgoing personality. He and his master are conducting an investigation on Dalna concerning stolen Force artifacts. He immediately meets Marda Ro, a shy, sweet girl who is a member of the Force cult The Path of the Open Hand, and they are immediately attracted. The problem is, the Path believe that the Force should be “free” and not manipulated in any way, especially the way the Jedi use the Force. It’s a point of contention between them, but they try to understand each other’s differing points of view. Kevmo is a bit flirty for a Jedi, and must be reminded by his master about attachments.

Zallah Macri. Zallah is Kevmo’s Jedi Master. She is Soikan, and therefore very calm and focused, a good counterpoint to Kevmo’s exuberance. She and Kevmo are investigating the theft of a Force artifact from the Queen of Hynestia. When they learn of the Path of the Open Hand, she encourages Kevmo’s friendship with Marda in order to learn more about them and if they are possibly connected to the theft. But they have a difficult time meeting with the Path’s leader, who is called The Mother.

Marda Ro. Marda is a member of the Path of the Open Hand, who watches over and teaches the children of the group. Marda is a true believer, passionate about the Path and their beliefs. They believe that if the Force is manipulated in any way, it has ripple effects and causes damage somewhere else. When she sees Kevmo using the Force simply to float a flower in the air, it greatly upsets her. Marda and her cousin, Yana, are Evereni, a species that is rarely seen in the galaxy and who have a bad reputation. Marda, sheltered on Dalna with the Path since she was a young child, doesn’t understand the prejudice, but does her best to be a good person and member of the group. Marda, unlike her cousin, is quite naive, believing that the Path doesn’t “steal” artifacts, they simply “liberate” them from those who would use them and corrupt the Force. Her cousin is far more cynical, being one of the members who do steal the artifacts, and often kill those who own or guard them. Marda’s beliefs and loyalties will be tested in the book.

The Mother. Her name is Eleni, but everyone calls her The Mother. She didn’t found the Path, and no one really knows where she came from, but she has Force visions that guide her decisions for the Path. When she receives an artifact that looks like a glowing purple egg, she becomes more reclusive, obsessed with the egg and never letting it out of her sight. If she had good intentions previously, she definitely becomes more sinister when the egg comes into her life.

The Herald. The Herald is one of the Elders of the Path and its previous leader. He now defers to the Mother. He is the father of Kor, Yana’s girlfriend, and has a part to play towards the end of the book.

Sunshine Dobbs. A prospector with the unlikely name of Sunshine, Dobbs is the one who brought the purple egg, which he found on a planet beyond the Outer Rim, to the Mother. Immediately upon meeting her, he seemed to fall under her spell, and became willing to do anything for her.

The Nameless. This lovely fellow is the Nameless, also called the Leveler, or Shrii Ka Rai or Eaters of the Force (so not really nameless, right?). He is what eventually came out of the purple egg (clearly a dark side artifact) the Mother tended so lovingly. The Nameless have the power to kill Jedi through utter and extreme fear, turning them to ash. Presumably the Mother will use it against the Jedi and their offensive use of the Force. What other plans she has in mind remains a mystery for now.

This was a great book that hints at the origins of the Nihil and their leader Marchion Ro, who are the main villains in Phase One of The High Republic books. I can’t wait to read the rest of Phase Two to get a clearer picture of what led to the events of Phase One.

Star Wars: The High Republic–Phase 2 Preview

Phase 2 of the High Republic will be upon us soon, and as a fan who loves the HR, I thought I’d list the upcoming books. I could only find a description for the adult novel, Convergence.

Phase 2, Wave 1:

Path of Deceit (YA), by Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland, Oct. 4th, 2022.

Convergence (Adult), by Zoraida Cordova, Nov. 15th, 2022. Here’s the Amazon description:
It is an age of exploration. Jedi travel the galaxy, expanding their understanding of the Force and all the worlds and beings connected by it. Meanwhile, the Republic, led by its two chancellors, works to unite worlds in an ever-growing community among near and distant stars.

On the close orbiting planets of Eiram and E’ronoh, the growing pains of a galaxy with limited resources but unlimited ambition are felt keenly. Their hatred for each other has fueled half a decade of escalating conflict and now threatens to consume surrounding systems. The last hope for peace emerges when heirs from the two planets’ royal families plan to marry.

Before lasting peace can be established, an assassination attempt targeting the couple tilts Eiram and E’ronoh back into all-out war. To save both worlds, Jedi Knight Gella Nattai volunteers to uncover the culprit, while Chancellor Kyong appoints her son, Axel Greylark, to represent the Republic’s interests in the investigation.

But Axel’s deep distrust of the Jedi sparks against Gella’s faith in the Force. She’s never met such a puffed-up, privileged party boy, and he’s never met a more self-serious, relentless do-gooder. The more they work to untangle the shadowy web of the investigation, the more complicated the conspiracy appears to be. With accusations flying and potential enemies in every shadow, the pair will have to work together to have any hope of bringing the truth to light and saving both worlds.

Quest for the Hidden City (Middle Grade), by George Mann, Feb. 14th, 2023

The Battle of Jedha (Audiobook), by George Mann, Feb. 14th, 2023

Phase 2, Wave 2 (No covers available yet):

Cataclysm (Adult), by Lydia Kang, April 4th, 2023
Quest for Planet X (Middle Grade), by Tessa Gratton, April 4th, 2023
Path of Vengeance (YA), by Cavan Scott, May 2nd 2023

I plan to read all of these books, the adult and YA as they come out, and eventually get to the middle-grade books (I usually get these on deal on my Kindle at a later date). I may even read the script of the audiodrama The Battle of Jedha, although I didn’t for the Phase 1 audiodrama, Tempest Runner. Tempest Runner is about the Nihil Lourna Dee, and I wasn’t that invested in her particular story outside the novels. But Jedha? Yes, please! Ever since Rogue One and the YA book Guardians of the Whills (with Chirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus), I’ve had a fascination for Jedha and the holy city.

I can’t wait for this next Phase of the High Republic!

Have you read the High Republic books? Looking forward to this Phase? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

High Republic Wednesday: My Ranking of the HR Books

It’s no secret that I LOVE the High Republic era of Star Wars. My favorite aspect of Star Wars has always been the Jedi, and the High Republic focuses on the Jedi of this time period–who they are and what makes them tick. It’s awesome.

Having said that, I do have favorites out of all the adult and young adult novels of Phase One that have come out this past year, and in this post I’m going to rank them and give my reasons for their position on the list.

I thought it would be fun to show the alternate covers of each book (if there are any), instead of the usual, often dorky, covers of Jedi holding lightsabers. Let’s get started!

The Fallen Star, by Claudia Gray (Third adult novel)

The Fallen Star alternate cover. This is such a powerful image.

The Fallen Star is the third and final adult novel of Phase One, and it’s my favorite because 1. Claudia Gray is a fantastic storyteller, and 2. it’s a nail-biting, heartbreaking finale where the Jedi obviously lose in a big way, leaving you wondering where they’ll go from here. There are some painful deaths, a terrifying threat (to the Jedi themselves), some very sticky situations to get out of, and some really wonderful relationships that are explored. It’s truly a satisfying culmination to Phase One, while still leaving you breathless for more.

2. Into the Dark, by Claudia Gray (First YA novel)

I haven’t seen any alternate covers for Into the Dark.

Again, Claudia Gray is at the top of my list, because she just handles the characters and the story so well. It’s hard to impress me with a YA book, but she does so here. Maybe it’s because Reath Silas is my favorite Padawan, and he is heavily involved in the storyline in this book. It’s also the only book that deals directly with the Drengir (a threat that is mostly dealt with in the comics). The Drengir are carnivorous, evil tree-beings, and have the potential to be very silly (and hence work best in the comics), but she handles them well here, at least as well as they can be handled. She also introduces the Vessel crew in this book, and Leox and Geode are some of my favorite minor characters in the whole era.

3. Light of the Jedi, by Charles Soule (First adult novel)

Light of the Jedi alternate cover. I love how Ember is front and center.

The very first adult novel, and first High Republic book to come out, is a great read and does a fantastic job at introducing this new era and its Jedi. It’s clear we’re in a very different time period here, and have Jedi who are very different from the prequel Jedi; Soule does a wonderful job bringing them to life in this story. The book begins with the Great Disaster and the fallout from that event, as well as introduces the new villains, the Nihil.

4. The Rising Storm, by Cavan Scott (Second adult novel)

The Rising Storm alternate cover. Striking, but busy.

For some reason, it was hard for me to get into this book on my first read; but on my second read, I loved it. This book deals with the Nihil attack on the Republic Fair on the planet Valo. It’s executed quite well, and I love Elzar Mann’s story arc. There’s a lot going on here, with multiple points of view, but it all comes together wonderfully.

5. Midnight Horizon, by Daniel Jose Older (Third YA novel)

Midnight Horizon alternate cover. Not bad, but I think the original is way cooler.

I was excited for this book, as it starred Reath Silas again (among others), but I found it to be a slow start. It was well into the third act before it suddenly got very, very good. I suppose you could call it a slow burn leading up to the explosion, lol. It concerns Reath and his master, Cohmac Vitus, along with Jedi Master Kantam Sy and Padawan Ram Jomoram going to Corellia to investigate a possible Nihil threat there. One thing Older did very well is characterization, and the relationships between the characters. As throughout all of the High Republic stories, this one’s central theme is how the Jedi should deal with attachment and love, and their struggle with their emotions. Oh yeah, and the Nihil threat, lol. (Check out my review of the book here).

6. Out of the Shadows, by Justina Ireland (Second YA novel)

Out of the Shadows alternate cover, which shows some Nihil, in particular Lourna Dee, instead of the usual Jedi.

I had a hard time with this one. I’m guessing it’s because it didn’t mainly concern the Jedi; rather, it was about a young woman named Sylvestri Yarrow, a cargo pilot who lost her ship to the Nihil and who goes to Coruscant, first to tell the Republic about the Nihil activity, and second, to try to get her ship back. She gets pulled into a scheme involving a wealthy young man from the Graf family, a Nihil plot to create some kind of gravity weapon, and how her missing and presumed dead mother is involved in it all. The only interesting part was when she and Vernestra Rwoh run into Mari San Tekka, and the old woman gives Vernestra some coordinates that are still a mystery.

I’ve read the middle-grade books of Phase One–A Test of Courage, Race to Crashpoint Tower, and Mission to Disaster. They’re all quite good, but I don’t really have a favorite out of them. I’d rank them equally.

By the way, here’s a few more alternate covers I found:

The Rising Storm additional alternate cover. Again, I love Ember up on the rock! (But it’s still kind of dorky, lol).

Out of the Shadows additional alternate cover. More Nihil.

I can’t wait for Phase Two, which reportedly takes place 150 years before the events of this phase. It kind of threw me at first, but I’m confident the creators know what they’re doing and there’s a very good reason for this. I believe Phase Two starts in October of this year.

Thanks for reading. For light and life!

High Republic Wednesday: Jake Bartok’s HR Art

I love Star Wars fan art, I love the High Republic, and I love the artist Jake Bartok. This post combines all three, showcasing some pieces I haven’t shared on this blog, or haven’t even seen myself until recently.

This one shows the characters of the YA novel Out of the Shadows: Vernestra Rwoh, Reath Silas, Sylvestri Yarrow, Lourna Dee. I’m not sure who the hooded figure on the left is. Maybe Cohmac Vitus?

Every Star Wars storytelling era must have a trio of one woman, and two men who share friendship and/or relationships. For the High Republic, it’s Avar Kriss, Elzar Mann, and Stellan Gios.

Elzar and Avar in the front, and Stellan watching over them, as he does.

This is a nice cast photo: in the front is Bell Zettifar, Vernestra Rwoh, and either Reath Silas or Imri Cantaros, I’m not sure. In the middle is Burryaga. And lining the back is Indeera Stokes, Loden Greatstorm, Nib Assek, and Porter Engle.

This is a great one of Padawan Bell Zettifar and his master, Loden Greatstorm. And Ember, of course!

This is a fun one showing various characters, including Vernestra with her purple lightwhip, and Zeen Mrala in the back (the pink one), a Force-sensitive friend of the Jedi. Marchion Ro, the Eye of the Nihil, is at the top center. Oh, and the Jedi vectors are shown in the corners. They’re Jedi ships that are piloted by the Force, which is pretty cool in my opinion.

This is Bartok’s medieval version, which he likes to do sometimes. I like the shield with the Jedi symbol on it, and the swords inscribed with Aurabesh. Vernestra’s whip at her belt is a nice touch. And does Marchion Ro have horns??

This is a nice tryptic showcasing various characters. On the right in the far right corner is Lilly, a Jedi from the manga Edge of Balance, which I’d like read soon. My daughter’s name is Lilly, so I automatically love her, lol.

These are absolutely gorgeous images, and I’m always interested in what he’ll do next. Check out his work on Twitter@JakeBartok.

What do you think of these images? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

High Republic Wednesday: Yoda Art

The High Republic is an exciting new era in Star Wars, taking place two hundred years prior to The Phantom Menace. That means lots of new, interesting characters to get to know. However, since Yoda is so long-lived, he is quite alive during the High Republic, at a mere 700 or so years. I thought I’d take a look at some Yoda representations during the High Republic era.

This one seems to be an earlier concept piece prior to the release of Project Luminous (the name the creators gave to the High Republic publishing initiative):

This is an amazing image of Yoda with Jedi Knight Keeve Trennis; I believe it is a comic variant cover:

This is a more detailed and stylized concept piece of Yoda in his “Temple” garb (a fancier, more formal version of Jedi robes):

This gorgeous image is of Yoda with Jedi Master Avar Kriss, and is another comic cover variant:

Here’s Yoda in his “Mission” garb, a plainer and more utilitarian version of Jedi robes:

Yoda is definitely a well-respected part of the High Republic Jedi Council, but is not the Grand Master yet.* His appearances are few and far between in the novels, but has a slightly larger role to play in the comics, especially the High Republic Adventures, in which he leads a group of younglings and Padawans. It’s always great to see this iconic, wisdom-dispensing character in any era.

What do you think of these images? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it.

For light and life!

*Edited–He actually is a Grandmaster, but he shares the post with two other Jedi: Lahru and Pra-tre Veter.

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello my friends, and happy weekend!

I don’t have a lot to report this week. I’ve been reading Mission to Disaster, by Justina Ireland, the middle-grade High Republic book recently out, and I’m almost done with it. I don’t usually do reviews for the middle grade books, but I might do so this time. It’s quite good.

Other than that, March is looking wide open as far as books and shows go. Moon Knight premieres on the 31st, but other than that, there’s no Star Wars or Marvel show that I can think of that will fill up the month. There’s also no big book releases. The months of April through August (at least) will keep me busy with a new book release per month, but March? Zip. What’s a Star Wars fan to do?

Well, catch up on other things, for one. I remembered I’d ordered Before the Awakening, by Greg Rucka, on my Kindle a while ago but never read for one reason or another. It’s a YA book (I think) that has some stories about Rey, Finn and Poe before the events of The Force Awakens. I’ll probably dig into that.

I’ve also ordered the combined comics of the Marvel High Republic series, as well as the High Republic Adventures. I’m pretty excited about this, as I’ve long wanted to read these comics. I’m not a huge comic fan, but I know that the story being told in the High Republic era encompasses both books and comics. There are characters that feature mainly in the comics (like Avar Kriss, Keeve Trennis, Skeer, and many others), as well as storylines that I feel are important to understand the totality of the High Republic era.

I also think that, with a storyline that has no live-action medium (or even an animation), the comics really fill in the look of the High Republic. What do these characters look like? What about the ships, and the droids, and other aspects of the High Republic that we’ve never seen before? The comics answer those questions and gives us a visual to latch onto. So yeah, I can’t wait to read these!

Oh, and by the way, we’ve got a cover for the YA book by Kiersten White about a young Obi-Wan Kenobi coming out on July 26th:

Obi-Wan looks pretty intense here, lol. Definitely on my pre-order list.

That’s really about it right now. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

High Republic Wednesday: Midnight Horizon Review

Daniel Jose Older’s YA novel Midnight Horizon is the third, and last YA offering in the first phase of the High Republic books, and it was an enjoyable read. It takes place just before and during the events of The Fallen Star, the adult novel by Claudia Gray that tells of the Nihil attack and destruction of Starlight Beacon.

The Nihil are also causing problems on Corellia (Han Solo’s home planet); while the marauders have long plagued the Outer Rim, most of the Inner Rim is complacent that they wouldn’t dare attack a Core world. They also believe that the Jedi and Republic forces have hunted down and destroyed most of the Nihil and that they’re not that big a problem anymore. Oh, how wrong they are.

Corellia is famous for its shipyards, and it makes sense that the Nihil would want to attempt to steal some ships for their own nefarious purposes. Their plan is surprisingly sophisticated, but it’s interrupted by a group of young people that include Jedi Padawans Reath Silas and Ram Jamoram (and their masters, Cohmac Vitus and Kantam Sy), and a young native with pink hair named Crash who runs a protection agency.

Most of the book is a slow burn of character development and setting up of events that lead to a huge, rather exciting climax in the last part of the book. I will admit that I wasn’t particularly wowed by the first part of the book, and Crash was not a character I found interesting in any way. I’m a little tired of brilliant adolescents who vacillate between teen angst and impossible feats of valor and wisdom. But that’s YA for you–I’m not the ideal reader.

The Jedi, of course, are exceptions to this very biased opinion of mine, lol. Reath Silas is my favorite High Republic Padawan, precisely because he originally was the bookish, studious type who, while quite skilled with the lightsaber, hoped that he never had to use it. He didn’t want adventures. He wanted to live in the Jedi Archives. And I could totally relate. But, over the course of several YA novels, he’s been forced into living a life of war with the Nihil, and it’s rather poignant to see him struggling with that transition. And I love seeing him mentor the younger Padawan Ram, who is also struggling with the transition. He just wants to tinker with machines.

Mostly I preferred the scenes with the older Jedi, Cohmac and Kantam. Until the very end of the book, they took a backseat to the younger characters, but they, too, had their own emotional struggles to deal with. Since Into the Dark, Cohmac has struggled with his emotions and the Jedi Order’s stance on how to deal with them (though the High Republic Jedi are still much more open with attachment and emotions than the prequel Jedi). Kantam Sy (a non-binary character) had even left the Order for a time when they were young, to explore their burgeoning need to explore life outside of the Jedi. They tell this story to Cohmac during some of their down times.

All the Jedi, Masters and Padawans alike, struggle with their emotions and their attachments to each other and others, as the story unfolds. Especially as they find out what’s happening to Starlight Beacon; they worry for their friends and struggle with rage against the Nihil.

Even Crash, who lost a good friend at the beginning of the book, struggles with attachment–she decides to distance herself from her other friends in order to prevent being hurt again in that way.

The end of the book was inarguably the best part, as it climaxes into a battle between the Jedi and their allies and the Nihil in the shipyards. And we get a surprise appearance from a familiar green friend, who has also figured into some of Kantam’s memories in the book.

In the end, this was a pretty good book, but I do prefer Claudia Gray’s Into the Dark, as far as YA High Republic novels go. I do like how we get to know Corellia a bit more during the High Republic, its politics and inner workings (and we get to see the Grindalids, the White Worm gangs that rule the sewers and underground passageways that we see in Solo: A Star Wars Story, and the book Most Wanted). And I finally got to see some of the characters from the comics, like Lula Talisola, Zeen Mrala, Krix, and others that Older created for his High Republic Adventures comics.

I would give Midnight Horizon 3.5 out of 5 lightsabers.

Have you read Midnight Horizon? If so, what did you think? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!