The High Republic
I recently started reading about the High Republic era of Star Wars. This era spanned from around 500 BBY to 100 BBY (BBY = Before the Battle of Yavin, or the end of the original Star Wars movie). For some context, The Phantom Menace occurs in 32 BBY.
The High Republic era was a golden age for both the Republic and the Jedi, a time of peace and expansion. It is a great setting for a lot of stories. Overall, I would recommend this book.
Light of the Jedi
This novel is set in 232 BBY, so the middle of the High Republic timeline. Here is the publisher’s summary:
Long before the First Order, before the Empire, before even The Phantom Menace. . . Jedi lit the way for the galaxy in The High Republic
It is a golden age. Intrepid hyperspace scouts expand the reach of the Republic to the furthest stars, worlds flourish under the benevolent leadership of the Senate, and peace reigns, enforced by the wisdom and strength of the renowned order of Force users known as the Jedi. With the Jedi at the height of their power, the free citizens of the galaxy are confident in their ability to weather any storm. But even the brightest light can cast a shadow, and some storms defy any preparation.
When a shocking catastrophe in hyperspace tears a ship to pieces, the flurry of shrapnel emerging from the disaster threatens an entire system. No sooner does the call for help go out than the Jedi race to the scene. The scope of the emergence, however, is enough to push even Jedi to their limit. As the sky breaks open and destruction rains down upon the peaceful alliance they helped to build, the Jedi must trust in the Force to see them through a day in which a single mistake could cost billions of lives.
Even as the Jedi battle valiantly against calamity, something truly deadly grows beyond the boundary of the Republic. The hyperspace disaster is far more sinister than the Jedi could ever suspect. A threat hides in the darkness, far from the light of the age, and harbors a secret that could strike fear into even a Jedi’s heart.
The Good
I’m a sucker for space wizards wielding laser swords, and this novel is packed full of them. We get the perspective of young Jedi Padawans to middle-aged masters to an older master riding out his last days on a distant planet. I loved the Padawans! They make use of their lightsabers, of course, but also utilize Force powers we may not have seen or thought about in the movie canon. And we get to learn what they’re thinking when they use them.
There are other perspectives as well, most notably the bad guys. There is no doubt these are the bad guys or real shades of gray to contend with most of the time. There’s a place for that in most stories as that is how real life works, but sometimes I like my space wizards to be the clear good guys fighting the clearly evil bad guys.
Non-Force users also play a heroic part in the story and contribute in ways that save lives and help the galaxy. They work with the Jedi to accomplish all this, which is a great mix of science, leadership, and the Force all being used for good.
We learn a lot about hyperspace and how it works, as well as more details on the Outer Rim. The planets are diverse and the settings are unique. There’s a clear sense of “I’d like to visit there” for many of the places, along with a clear “nope, I’m good never going there” for others.
I was very invested in how the heroes would solve the problems they faced. After the first part of the book (see below), the pacing was fantastic and did not lag.
The Less than Good
(Slight Spoiler Alert)
The start of the book focused on a very small window of time during a disaster, maybe 2-3 hours. It bounced between points of view often, introducing far too many characters to keep track of, several of whom did not appear in later chapters. It seems like this should have read very quickly, given the urgency and the time frame, but ultimately dragged due to the number of people involved.
The point of view switches continued throughout the novel. I was able to keep up with them the rest of the book, but there were so many it did become a distraction. I also wasn’t sold on how the action bounced between many plot points in rapid succession, all with different people.
Most of the ending was satisfying, but I left with an “ick” feeling about the final state of one of the characters. I really liked this character, so I went and looked up what happens in future novels. I’m not enthralled by his arc.
Darkness
This section is neutral as part of my review. Just some thoughts I had after reading it.
One of the feelings I left the novel with was how dark it was. A lot of people died, and a lot of dark things happened, often “on screen.”
Then I realized that’s also the case in the movies, we just don’t often think about it because it is shiny and over quickly. Blowing up Alderaan is incredibly dark and evil, and billions died. The Clone Wars were a war, with all the destruction that goes with it, never mind the introduction of the ethical concerns of using clones and children as soldiers. Order 66 was gruesome.
While we often watch movies or consume media to get away from real life, digging a little into the story reveals a lot of real life issues and questions. I think it is why we like the heroes so much, why we want the space wizards with laser swords to win.
“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”
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