This new novel by Star Wars veteran writer, Charles Soule, is a interesting and very promising start to the High Republic publishing initiative, setting up exciting things to come and leaving it’s fair share of answers and questions. The novel focuses on a cataclysmic interstellar crash that puts the lives of millions in danger, and thus the Jedi and the Republic are forced to put themselves all to the task to ensure the safety of dozens of planets. Along with the natural disaster they are forced to deal with, the galaxy is also being struck from the shadows by a new hidden threat, a group of outlaws calling themselves the “Nihil”. This is a high stakes story that shows the strength and the flaws of the heroic Jedi, and paints the galaxy in a different light then what we have seen in the canon stories thus far.

Overall, this novel is a fairly excellent introduction to the High Republic era of Star Wars, while also being pretty accessible to newcomers to the general lore and universe of the series. The setting is new and full of wonder, the threats are deadly and full of mystery, and the characters are depicted with a lot of potential. If I had to pinpoint an issue I found with this book, it would be the latter; the characters are filled with potential. We are introduced to the names of at least thirty new Jedi, with around ten of them being a focus point to the story. This, combined with the fact that there are many new non-Jedi characters, creates a sense that we only get a passing glance to most of these characters, and their true depths are left untouched.

This issue can be looked at in two ways, in my opinion. If somebody is reading this novel as a stand alone, then they may be left with a sense of longing for this character development. However, for most this will not be the case, as it was not the way it was truly intended to be read. This story is merely Soule’s first contribution to a larger collective of stories by himself and a handful of other authors who have been tasked with writing High Republic content. For this reason, I find it fair to label this slight lack of depth as justified, as room must be left for other authors and media sources to flesh out each of these characters. Already, the novels “A Test of Courage”, “Into the Dark”, and the two ongoing comic series (all of which will be reviewed here, so stayed tuned 😀 ) have been released and have brought much more focus onto these new characters. So, with all that being said, if you are a Star Wars nerd like myself, do not worry; these characters will most likely be very much fleshed out as the team of authors will many many different opportunities to do so. 

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There was a whole BUNCH of lore and questions dropped onto fans in this book, and I loved every second of it. We got to see a rough glimpse into the Republic and how it ran things, a large amount of Jedi were introduced (I can’t say I’m not obsessed with the idea of both a Wookiee and a Trandoshan Jedi, since I’m a big fan of seeing non-human characters get spotlight), and finally we get to meet the Nihil. When it comes to the fictional fight of good versus evil, I will not hesitate to say I gravitate towards the antagonists when it comes to interest. I was initially questioning the idea of having the main villains being simple pirates, but then when they showed the drug-fuelled raid along with the heavy metal blasting in the background, I admit that hook caught me. My main excitement lies in the mysterious character of Marchion Ro, especially due to his apparent past with Jedi and his torture scene with Loden at the end. Potential Sith connection, or just a messed up dude? I have no clue, but colour me intrigued! 

While I was a bit disappointed with how little time we got to spend with some of the Jedi, I absolutely LOVED how the force was represented by Soule. Each Jedi envisions the natural power in their own way; Avar Kriss sees music, Elzar Mann pictures the sea, Bell uses flames, et cetera. While I know many authors avoid making such drastic reimagining’s in how the force (or the universe in general), I’m very glad this addition was made!

One final story-related point I want to address is the very first few chapters of the novel. I was NOT expecting to be invested that quickly (even if my investment wavered a bit after that). The character of the ship captain in the first chapter was such an enjoyable character, so it was unexpected when her life was quickly taken from her. Same concept with the station employee who was killed by the Great Disaster in the following chapters. As much as I love Jedi and villains, Star Wars really shines when a spotlight is put on the average citizen, and when these lost lives are actually given meaning. This concept in fiction is perfectly summed up by the quote attributed to Stalin: “A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic”. So, while Soule did make the novel’s conflict focus on the risk of millions unknown lives, he made the threat more thrilling to the reader by starting the story with these sad tales of individuals who died.