Hi friends! As promised, here are the Star Wars novels coming out in 2027, with the publisher’s summaries and my brief thoughts on them.

Twin Crossroads, by Beth Revis, April 6th.

After the events of Return of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa train together in the ways of the Jedi. The siblings must confront the legacies of their birth parents Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, and their own diverging futures in the Force.

The second Death Star is in ruins. As the burgeoning New Republic pursues scattered Imperial forces across the galaxy, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa train on the remote planet of Ajan Kloss and walk the path of the Jedi side-by-side.

During this reprieve from battle, the twins grow their connection to the Force and their own bond as they shoulder the responsibility of carrying on the Jedi Order’s legacy. But each also carries a burden they struggle to share with the other. Luke loves seeing his sister excel but doubts his teaching ability when there is still so much to discover and learn. Leia, meanwhile, is determined to master these new skills, but she struggles with both what it would mean to commit her life entirely to serving the Force and the knowledge of being Darth Vader’s daughter.

Despite their doubts, Luke and Leia volunteer for an urgent covert New Republic mission to infiltrate the center of Imperial power: Coruscant.

Their quest begins at the Imperial palace, once the Jedi Temple, where they gain a new understanding of the former Jedi Order and Galactic Republic. The mission will be more transformative than either could imagine, as they discover the legacy left behind by their birth parents on a planet where some are still willing to hope. And though certainty is scarce, Luke and Leia’s faith in one another will help them each seek out the path they must ultimately walk.

So this one sounds great–I’ve wanted a bit more about Luke training Leia in the ways of the Force. We get a little bit in The Rise of Skywalker, and Leia remembering her time with Luke on Ajan Kloss in the TROS novelization (I think, lol). This sounds like it’s going to get into the nitty-gritty of it. I hope it makes clear the when of it; it sounds like it’s right after Endor, but Leia and Han got married on Endor and she got pregnant with Ben not long after. I’m currently reading the Aftermath Trilogy right now, and she seems pretty busy that year with the New Republic and growing baby Ben. The problem with all these new books is fitting all these stories into an already crowded timeline. I’m hoping the book will make it clear and make sense. But as far as the actual story goes, it sounds pretty awesome.

Leia: Princess of the Rebellion, by Claudia Gray, May 4th.

Princess Leia risks everything to protect the Rebellion as she forges new bonds with Luke Skywalker and Han Solo—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Lost Stars.

The Rebellion has just destroyed the Death Star, shaking the Empire to its core, but this victory has come at a terrible price. The planet Alderaan has been destroyed, and the Rebellion now must flee its base on Yavin IV.

Still reeling from the loss of her planet, Princess Leia and the other rebel leaders know that a new base must be found, but it cannot be kept safe without a secret cache of weapons hidden by Bail Organa years ago. Bail kept its location well concealed, and no one still living knows where it is. Leia insists that she is the best person to unravel the clues and discover the cache’s location so they can establish a new rebel base.

And so Leia sets out on a desperate quest with her new friends Luke Skywalker and Han Solo by her side. Her path will take her back to people and places she has known throughout her life, not all of whom remain Leia’s allies. Completing this mission will call upon all Leia’s courage as she wrestles with the sorrows of her recent past in order to secure the Rebellion’s future.

Okay, I love Claudia Gray’s Star Wars novels, and no one writes Leia better than she does–Bloodline and Leia: Princess of Alderaan were fantastic–but more Leia? After Twin Crossroads, and the recent Legacy? Is there any particular reason we’re doing more Leia? I love the character, but I feel like we’ve maybe done enough, particularly at this point in the timeline. But whatever, I’ll take it, because it is Claudia Gray, and she’s never disappointed before. And that cover is amazing! Gorgeous.

Starfighter, novelization by Delilah S. Dawson, June 22nd. I’m so excited for this movie, and you can be sure I’ll be reading the novelization of it. I like the novelizations of the movies for the most part, as there are usually extra scenes, inner character dialogue, and just more of the story. And Delilah Dawson is another favorite Star Wars writer of mine–I loved Phasma, Black Spire, and Rise of the Red Blade (she loves to write “violent women,” lol). I’m sure she’ll do justice to the movie in this book. We probably won’t get a cover until after the movie is out, I’m guessing.

Reign of the Empire: From the Ashes, by Fran Wilde, August 10th.

In the gripping finale to the Reign of the Empire trilogy, set during the events of Andor, Rogue One, and A New Hope, a united Rebel Alliance finally rises to stand against the Empire.

Nearly two decades into its reign, the Empire’s power continues to grow, fueled by Emperor Palpatine’s insatiable desire for total control. United against the unrelenting crush of Imperial might, factions of insurgents have finally banded together as the Rebel Alliance.

After an early Alliance base is discovered and routed by Imperial forces, the scattered leadership of Bail Organa and Mon Mothma races to establish a new secret headquarters on a remote jungle moon: Yavin 4.

But building a base requires more than a safe location; security demands discipline, discipline requires hierarchy, and hierarchy enforces secrecy. And the strain proves that forming an Alliance is one thing, sustaining it quite another. Some leaders, like Luthen Rael and Saw Gerrera, refuse to join the Yavin coalition, warning of the danger in consolidating resources. And for Gerrera, suspicions grow about the loyalty of his allies, who more and more label him an extremist as the Empire has for so long.

Despite the division within, and the endless hunt by Imperial agents, the Rebellion endures. Mon, Bail, and their allies can sense the long night of the Empire is ending, even if not all those who have fought for it will live to see the sunrise. As the Rebels make their stand above Yavin 4, hope emerges anew as the fate of the galaxy reaches a turning point.

This is the third book in the Reign of the Empire trilogy, and since the other two books were excellent, I have high hopes for it. I feel like Andor, Rogue One, and A New Hope are a kind of trilogy now, and this book will bridge them all together. I’m not really familiar with Fran Wilde, but she contributed a short story called “No Contingency” for the From A Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi book. I only read a few stories from that one so far, but that was one of them. It’s a story about Mon Mothma, so I can see her writing more about that character here. I’m excited for this book but I have to wait almost ten months for it, lol.

So these are just the novels that have been announced for next year, but there are plenty of other non-fiction books and comics coming out, as well as the afore-mentioned Starfighter movie in May, Ahsoka Season 2 in January, and Maul Season 2 at some point, I’m not sure when. Another great year for Star Wars!

All this is fabulous, but most of these stories are set in the crowded, familiar timeline of the Empire and New Republic. Starfighter is a great first step in a new direction, a post-sequel story that I hope leads to more. I’d also love to go backwards again and get more High Republic stuff, either books or live-action. And though I loved the Legends Old Republic books (mostly), let’s see some Canon stuff going that far back. The Dawn of the Jedi-type movie seems to have been scrapped, and the Old Republic video game doesn’t seem to be forthcoming. Let’s go backwards or forwards in the timeline and see what’s going on. It’s a big, old galaxy with lots of stories to tell.

Anyway, that’s my little two-cents-worth, but still looking forward to all these books in 2027. What are you looking forward to the most? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!