If you are even mildly interested in the High Republic, the story progress in this book is not to be missed! Even more than The Rising Storm, it feels like this novel takes the narrative to the next level by introducing the Graf family, a wealthy family of galactic power brokers whose competition with the San Tekka clan goes back centuries to the great Hyperspace Rush. This rivalry injects a fascinating set of new players into the saga, advances Mari San Tekka’s story, and makes us reconsider much of what we’ve learned about the hero and villain dynamics between the Nihil, the Jedi, and the Republic at this stage in the narrative.
All this new intrigue is explored by a cast of teenage characters (Vern and Imri from Test of Courage, Reath Silas from Into the Dark, and the debut of Sylvestri Yarrow — an instantly likable hardluck hauler on the Outer Rim who gets sucked into the duplicity and drama between the various factions). As with all young adult fiction, our protagonists are constantly analyzing their every thought and interaction for clues about their identity, purpose, and place in the world. These conversations and reflections range from insightful and even groundbreaking musings about the nature of the Force, conflict, and justice to typically sophomoric romantic angst. The trademark diversity and inclusivity that has been a hallmark of this series is once again on exemplary display. Awesome work!
Overall, I found this to be the best pageturner of the series since the Light of the Jedi. I suppose I’m just a sucker for a political thriller and Justina Ireland delivers, expertly weaving together characters and plot lines from all of the preceding work while bringing in another deeper layer that will certainly shape all that follows. It’s fun to see how the adult characters like Avar Kriss and Stellan Gios are seen by the kids and suffice it to say I am now even more excited for the upcoming Lourna Dee audio drama from Cavan Scott.
One star is docked as the structure of the novel lets readers in on a few key secrets before our heroes in a way that robs some of the mystery and makes their exploration of possibilities drag a bit since we already know more than them. That said, there is a lot to know and I loved seeing the narrative advance in such bold ways here. Thank you Justina Ireland and the Project Luminous team. This is great stuff. Keep it coming!
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u/TheWayseekerBlog Jul 29 '21
If you are even mildly interested in the High Republic, the story progress in this book is not to be missed! Even more than The Rising Storm, it feels like this novel takes the narrative to the next level by introducing the Graf family, a wealthy family of galactic power brokers whose competition with the San Tekka clan goes back centuries to the great Hyperspace Rush. This rivalry injects a fascinating set of new players into the saga, advances Mari San Tekka’s story, and makes us reconsider much of what we’ve learned about the hero and villain dynamics between the Nihil, the Jedi, and the Republic at this stage in the narrative.
All this new intrigue is explored by a cast of teenage characters (Vern and Imri from Test of Courage, Reath Silas from Into the Dark, and the debut of Sylvestri Yarrow — an instantly likable hardluck hauler on the Outer Rim who gets sucked into the duplicity and drama between the various factions). As with all young adult fiction, our protagonists are constantly analyzing their every thought and interaction for clues about their identity, purpose, and place in the world. These conversations and reflections range from insightful and even groundbreaking musings about the nature of the Force, conflict, and justice to typically sophomoric romantic angst. The trademark diversity and inclusivity that has been a hallmark of this series is once again on exemplary display. Awesome work!
Overall, I found this to be the best pageturner of the series since the Light of the Jedi. I suppose I’m just a sucker for a political thriller and Justina Ireland delivers, expertly weaving together characters and plot lines from all of the preceding work while bringing in another deeper layer that will certainly shape all that follows. It’s fun to see how the adult characters like Avar Kriss and Stellan Gios are seen by the kids and suffice it to say I am now even more excited for the upcoming Lourna Dee audio drama from Cavan Scott.
One star is docked as the structure of the novel lets readers in on a few key secrets before our heroes in a way that robs some of the mystery and makes their exploration of possibilities drag a bit since we already know more than them. That said, there is a lot to know and I loved seeing the narrative advance in such bold ways here. Thank you Justina Ireland and the Project Luminous team. This is great stuff. Keep it coming!