STAR WARS: LIGHT OF THE JEDI

A longer time ago…

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384 pages | Hardback/ebook/audiobook

Author Charles Soule

Publisher Del Rey

Every Star Wars movie and TV show so far has been set during the seven decades of the Skywalker era. That means a lot of galactic “history” remains unexplored, so Lucasfilm is filling in some blanks with The High Republic, a new series of books and comics set 200 years before The Phantom Menace.

Light Of The Jedi is first out of the docking bay, and regular Marvel Comics writer Charles Soule clearly relishes the opportunity to tell a Star Wars story unrestricted by existing canon; aside from references to Yoda and a few lines for obscure prequel-era Jedi Yarael Poof, this is built around an entirely new cast of characters. It’s a tantalising place to start a novel, with almost limitless storytelling opportunities, but most of the worldbuilding already taken care of. (That said, it’s wise to have Wookieepedia to hand.) The book kicks off at breakneck speed, as a hyperspace accident creates lethal, super-fast debris with the potential to wipe out entire star systems. Enter legions of Jedi trying to avert disaster, work out what happened, and restore the hyperspace lanes to working order.

As the title suggests, the book is something of an ode to the Jedi and the Force. There’s plenty of musing on how they communicate with that celebrated energy field, while their distinct skill sets and personalities are showcased as they were in The Clone Wars.

Owing nearly as much to Dune and Iain M Banks’s Culture novels as Star Wars, Light Of The Jedi is an ambitious attempt to embrace the harder SF edges of that galaxy far, far away. Unfortunately, it can’t sustain the momentum of a turbo-charged opening act, as later chapters become preoccupied with setting up future story arcs. Nonetheless, the start of this Star Wars history lesson has lots of potential.

The Acolyte, one of the gazillion Star Wars TV shows announced in December, will be set in the High Republic era.