Review: Light of the Jedi

We are all the republic!

A hyperspace disaster, a familiar presence, and the rise of a new adversary. Soule pulls readers into the narrative immediately, and yields only briefly in this first installment of The High Republic era. The book is broken into three acts, with an interlude and epilogue, though the build-up is anything but traditional.

The 1st act throws the reader into the action immediately as the Hetzal system finds itself under siege from an unknown enemy. The story introduces a host of new characters, and the reader jumps between their perspectives, all of which occur within this same period of time. It is high action, high intensity, high emotion and an opportunity for the author to portray the Jedi and their civilian allies in remarkable ways.

The 2nd act slows things, if only slightly, and introduces the reader to the main antagonist of the story, “The Nihil”. A band of marauders who are determined to carve out their slice of the galaxy, no matter the cost. This act serves to lay out their backstory, and provide the spark of conflict between the Nihil and The Republic (and Jedi), which carries through to the final act.

The 3rd act is the uncoiling of the tension and conflict that has been built over the previous 250 (or so) pages. The reader is again bounced between a few perspectives, though like in act one everything is interconnected. The story culminates in the Battle of Kur (The Kur Nebula), with the closing chapters revealing what has become a formidable foe.

verdict

As someone who has difficulties getting into a story, this one had me hooked from the start and never really let go. The blend of short and long chapters was pleasant, as you never feel like you’re slogging from one point to another. Keeping all of the new characters straight, at least initially, can be confusing for some; Especially given how frequent the jumps are between each perspective. Soule does a great job with descriptions, and offers enough time for scenes to develop allowing the imagination to paint vivid pictures; I actually found myself getting emotional at points as a result of this. The middle portion of the book may come across as slow, especially compared to the beginning and end. However, this section also has solid tension and character building, and is critical to the endgame, so it can be forgiven for the ‘slower’ nature. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and for the 1st entry into The High Republic era it is a very good benchmark. There was plenty of action, plenty of emotion, and plenty of Jedi while introducing an enemy which could give them a run for their money. It does a great job of laying the groundwork for subsequent books, and is an enjoyable read for any Star Wars fan!

Rating: 8.5 out of 10