Fantha Tracks were fortunate enough to have the chance to put a few questions Kwame Mbalia, the author of the freshly released YA novel Star Wars: The Last Order that shines a light on the First Order years of both Finn and Jannah.
FT: Sharp Eyed readers recognized your name when Star Wars: The Last Order was announced from your story Fortuna Favors The Bold in the Return of the Jedi: From A Certain Point Of View anthology. Can you tell us a bit about your personal Star Wars fandom and you journey to The Last Order?
KM: I’m a fan of everything Star Wars, as my wardrobe and bookshelves can attest to. It’s been a lifelong fandom, and the fact that I was able to contribute to the lore of Star Wars not once but twice has made me insufferable in my own house for several years now. Fun fact, I can remember spending hours playing the Game Boy version of Star Wars and thinking that’s as close as it gets to influencing the story. Look at me now, little Kwame!
FT: Many fans of the Sequel Trilogy vividly remember the moment when John Boyega first appeared in The Force Awakens trailer. How did that moment feel to you?
KM: It was shocking! Unexpected! Delightful! I think I was equally enthralled with seeing one of my favorite characters from Attack the Block, a Black man, getting this screen time, as I was fascinated with the fact he was a stormtrooper.
FT: It’s exciting to see the sequel trilogy characters featured in a story set after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. What was it like exploring a new chapter in their journey within the Star Wars saga?
KM: While we didn’t go too far past the ending of the sequel trilogy, it was fun to revisit them and also show that a revolution doesn’t disappear overnight after the main objective is completed, but I would say it was equally as entertaining to dive into their backstories and build up their lore even more.
FT: What aspects of Finn and Jannah’s onscreen personalities were you drawn to exploring more in this novel?
KM: I think for both of them it was the development of their leadership abilities. These are characters who, by the end of Episode 9, are established as people that others look up to and look towards for inspiration and direction. How does that come about? What choices in their past led to this outcome? Being able to explore that, show their mistakes, show their growth, and show their empathy and care to those depending on them was something that was very pivotal in the telling of the story.
Stay tuned to Fantha Tracks Radio and our Canon Fodder podcast as we’ll soon be chatting more to Kwame about his Star Wars journey and The Last Order. Read our review of the book here.
