Book Review: Star Wars The High Republic Second Wave
Photo by Arezou Amin.
The Geeky Waffle already posted insightful reviews by Arezou for the newest books, however after I read the books I wanted to give my opinion as well.
The Rising Storm by Cavan Scott
It seems cliche to call any book a “page turner,” but that truly is what Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm by Cavan Scott is. This novel has everything a Star Wars fan wants: heroic Jedis, wicked (but fascinating) villains, political intrigue, action packed duels, romance and more.
Last book I’ll admit I was overwhelmed with all the new characters (I’m personally bad with names). However with this second novel I felt like I was returning to old friends.
One of my favorite aspects of the novel was the exploration of the Nihls and their leader Marchion Ro (The Eye of the Nihil). Every chapter you understand the Nihls more which makes them even scarier.
However my absolute favorite was the charhound Ember, companion of Padawan Bell Zettifar.
Overall The Rising Storm is a must read for all fans of a galaxy far, far away.
Read Arezou’s Full Review of The Rising Storm
Race to Crashpoint Tower by Daniel José Older
The children’s book in this phase of the High Republic is a fun read no matter what your age. Older’s humor actually made me laugh out loud, something that doesn’t happen often when I’m reading.
This book is set during the events of the Rising Storm and gives more points of views of the time. It is a perfect companion to the adult novel. The two main characters Jedi Padawans Ram Jomaram and Lula Talisola are so human and relatable.
Don’t let the reading age deter you, this is an enjoyable book for everyone.
Read Arezou’s Full Review of Race to Crashpoint Tower
Out of the Shadows by Justina Ireland
After heartily enjoying A Test of Courage I was excited for Justina Ireland’s next High Republic book, the young adult novel Out of the Shadows. I will unabashedly say Vernestra Rwoh is my favorite character of this era and I know Ireland’s writing is a huge part of that.
I loved that one of the main characters of this novel is a simple woman trying to make her way through the galaxy like her mother. Sylvestri Yarrow is a human pilot and trader. She is just trying to keep her family business going but the Nihl were attacking every ship they could. I liked seeing the state of the galaxy from an everyday person’s point of view.
This personally is now in my top ten favorite Star Wars books. The character focused narrative appealed to me.
Read Arezou’s Full Review of Out of the Shadows
Special thank you to Del Rey, Lucasfilm and Disney for an advance copy of these books for review purposes.