Publication Date: February 2, 2021
Edition: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook; 425 pgs
Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
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Claudia Gray is the author of Star Wars: Bloodline, Star Wars: Lost Stars, Star Wars: Leia, Princess of Alderaan, and Defy the Stars, as well as the Firebird series, the Evernight series and the Spellcaster series. She has worked as a lawyer, a journalist, a disc jockey, and a particularly ineffective waitress. Her lifelong interests include old houses, classic movies, vintage style, and history. She lives in New Orleans. Find her at claudiagray.com, facebook.com/authorclaudiagray, and @claudiagray.
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
Tour Schedule
Week One
2/15/2021 - Two Chicks on Books - Interview
2/16/2021 - What A Nerd Girl Says - Review
2/17/2021 - _popreads_ - Review
2/18/2021 - booksaremagictoo - Review
2/19/2021 - Westveil Publishing - Review
Week Two
2/22/2021 - @a_bookish_dream - Review
2/23/2021 - Kait Plus Books - Excerpt
2/24/2021 - @fictitious.fox - Review
2/25/2021 - Moonlight Rendezvous - Review
2/26/2021 - Eli to the nth - Review
The Summary
Long before the Clone Wars, the Empire, or the First Order, the Jedi lit the way for the galaxy in a golden age known as the High Republic!
Not everyone who hears the call to adventure wants to answer it....
Jedi Padawan Reath Silas loves adventure—reading about it, that is, not living it. Content to spend hours browsing the Jedi Archives on Coruscant, Reath dreams of being one of the great scholars of the Jedi Order. But Reath's master, the well-respected and virtuous Jora Malli, has other plans: she's taken a post at Starlight Beacon, the Republic's shining new outpost on the edge of known space. As her Padawan, Reath must join her, whether he likes the idea or not. (And he most definitely does not.)
So Reath reluctantly boards the ship that will take him and a few other Jedi to the dedication of Starlight Beacon, where Master Jora waits for him to start their new adventurous life on the frontier. But trouble in hyperspace leaves the ship and other nearby vessels stranded, with only an eerie abandoned space station reachable for shelter. And the secrets hidden there will not only bring Reath to a crossroads but, if left unchecked, could plunge the entire galaxy into darkness....
My Review
Star Wars is one of my favorite franchises. I love the movies, the books, the comics, the everything. As such, when I got the chance to review Into the Dark (Star Wars: The High Republic) by Claudia gray, I was beyond excited! I love being able to dive into this new focus on a time in the Star Wars Universe we haven't seen yet!
To get a little overview of the series as a whole I'm going to quote right from Wookieepedia, "Star Wars: The High Republic is an ongoing multimedia project, which spans both comics and books to tell one cohesive story set in the High Republic Era, two centuries prior to the events of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace." So not only are we getting books, of which Into the Dark is one, but also comics/graphic novels, spanning adult, young adult, middle grade, and children's (these seem to be mostly retellings of the other books), which is very exciting! I love that Disney Lucasfilms are giving such amazing authors, like Claudia Gray, the chance to flesh out this period of time in the history of Star Wars.
Into the Dark follows several characters, but our main protagonist is a Jedi Padawan, Reath Silas. Loving his books and studying the history of the Jedi, Reath isn't keen on adventuring outside of the comforts of Coruscant and the main Jedi Temple. But where their Master goes, so do Padawans. When Reath's Master, Jora Malli, is sent on a new mission to the Outer Rim, Reath must follow. But unfortunately, this assignment will result in disastrous circumstances for Reath and his traveling companions, both personally and for the Jedi Order.
Claudia Gray is an old hand at writing Star Wars novels, and makes you feel comfortable in this world right away, no prior Star Wars knowledge needed. She is able to get you to care about Reath and his companions immediately, imbuing the Jedi, often seen as emotionless, with humor and passion. Told from multiple points of view (many of the supporting characters also get chapters told from their perspective) gives you a fleshed out view of the events surrounding, and leading up to, the catastrophic circumstances that are fueling the plot.
The plot is action heavy with some points of calm, where we get insight to character motivation or a quick explanation of events happening in the other novels (most of the books take place simultaneously or right after one each other), but what I really loved about this story, is the darkness in it. Not just the "dark side", as we know it from the previous franchise media, but death and destruction is not shied away from. People die, upfront and rather quickly in the story arc. We get to see how that effects not only a Padawan like Reath, but two of his companions, Jedi Masters Orla Jareni and Chomac Vitas (old friends who trained as Padawans together). We all know Jedi can be defeated, but I like that Gray made the point to highlight that fact, and not shy away from it.
Additionally, we have a story within a story, set 25 years earlier, following Padawan-aged Orla and Chomac. They, too, experience unexpected danger on a mission from the Jedi Counsel, and suffer similar losses to what Reath experiences. All of it, both the events of 25 years earlier and the present events, leads to the culminating reveal of the "bad guy" of this era, the Nihil. A group of destructive pirates terrorizing the Outer Rim, the Nihil travel between hyperspace lanes, which resulted in the huge explosion dealt with in the first book of the series, The Light of the Jedi. But the question begged in this book is the true identity of the "evil" threatening the galaxy and the Jedi Order.
Overall, Into the Dark just cemented my excitement over this new chapter in Star Wars history. I love that the books will span age groups, and while they are connected, in theory, they can stand-alone somewhat. This has the potential to pull in other readers who may not be big Star Wars fans. Quick-paced, engaging, and full of new characters that will capture your attention, Into the Dark by Claudia Gray is a great addition to the Star Wars Universe, and I can't wait to read more!
Final Rating
Except
The Orincans leveled their blasters at Cohmac as he leapt onto their deck of the station. Magnetically sealed? he wondered of the station. Possibly.
The blue blade of his lightsaber ignited, its gleam slicing through the murky dark. As the Orincans fired, he spun his saber, expertly deflecting the beams into the trunks of the larger trees that could bear it, or into some of the boxes and trunks of abandoned cargo. None hit the walls, which was his main objective.
Squealing in consternation, the Orincans beat a hasty retreat. He glanced down just in time to see Orla hold out her lightsaber and ignite it—two blades, shining white, piercing the shadows. The Mizi began backing off immediately. But it was too easy for the looters to escape; the layout of the station meant he and Orla would literally be running in circles trying to pursue them all.
The Vessel lacked the military heft to forcibly stop the looters from leaving with their ill-gotten gains. Therefore, stopping the ransacking would have to be accomplished through more than sheer strength. Reason and persuasion hadn’t worked, either.
Time for awe.
Cohmac climbed the rungs of the atrium railing. His eyes detected Affie Hollow cleverly concealed behind a greenery-overgrown barrier, but that hardly mattered—except that this girl, too, would finally learn what the Jedi truly were.
He focused his energy and drew upon the Force. Though darkness surrounded him, the sheer vitality of the living things on the station worked on Cohmac like fuel. Strength flooded his body, and ultimate clarity sharpened his mind.
With that, he jumped.
Affie screamed, but the sound flowed past Cohmac, just one more aspect of the illusion-reality around him. Reaching out with the Force, he sensed the atrium floor and balanced himself above it. Eight meters above it.
Levitation was a complex art. The more academic Masters bickered over the reasons why it should be more difficult for Jedi Knights to lift and steady themselves than any other object. Cohmac considered the discussion academic to the point of esoteric; besides, this was a skill that, for him, came naturally.
As he floated in the center of the atrium, he held his lightsaber above his head. Its blue glow flickered against the exposed slivers of metal as though igniting dozens of small flames. He called out, “Hear me!”
His voice echoed throughout the atrium, as Cohmac had calculated it would. The sounds of combat slowed, then silenced. Faces of many species stared out, weapons at their sides, slack in astonishment at seeing a human male airborne, held aloft by no power but his own.
Really, it was among the least significant of a Jedi’s abilities. But it made people pay attention and earned their respect, which was all Cohmac required at the moment.
“In the name of the Republic, I command you to cease looting and thievery aboard this station immediately.” Cohmac’s resonant voice filled the entire vast space, reaching every antenna and ear. “Within fifteen minutes, every captain of every ship now docked here must have done one of two things: packed up their crew and left, or prepared them-selves to peaceably cooperate. You accept the authority of the Republic’s laws and stay, or you reject it and leave. It doesn’t matter which. But choose one, now—or we will be forced to make that choice for you.”
Nobody hurried to leave. Instead, many of the groups collected themselves, put down the finds they’d stolen, and began shuffling back toward the airlock level. They’d be ready to negotiate. He and the other Jedi would have a chance to discuss the strange phenomenon emanating from the idols, so strongly linked to the dark side.
But Cohmac didn’t fool himself that he’d achieved any-thing more than a temporary reprieve. As he descended through the air, robe rippling around him, he knew this fragile peace would not last long.
About the Author
Giveaway
3 winners will receive a signed finished copy of INTO THE DARK, US Only.
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