Star Wars: The High Republic: Path of Deceit
The Outer Rim planet Dalna has become the focus of a Jedi investigation into a stolen Force artifact, and Zallah Macri and her Padawan, Kevmo Zink, arrive on the pastoral world to follow up on a possible connection to a Dalnan missionary group called the Path of the Open Hand. Members of the Path believe that the Force must be free and should not be used by anyone, not even the Jedi. One such believer is Marda Ro, a young woman who dreams of leaving Dalna to spread word of the Path throughout the galaxy.
When Marda and Kevmo meet, their connection is instantaneous and electric―until Marda discovers Kevmo is a Jedi. But Kevmo is so kind and eager to learn more about the Path, that she hopes she can convince him of the rightness of her beliefs. What Marda doesn’t realize is that the leader of the Path, a charismatic woman known only as the Mother, has an agenda of her own, and it is one that can never coexist peacefully with the Jedi.
In order to follow her faith, Marda may have to choose to become her new friend’s worst enemy….
Author: Justina Ireland and Tessa Gratton
Cover artist: Corey Brickley
Release date: 4th October 2022
Pages: 352 pages
ISBN: 9781368076128
Pantoran padawan Kevmo Zinck and his master Zallah Macri find themselves on the backwater planet Dalna to investigate the theft of a high-profile powerful force artifact. Their findings lead them to a group of force worshippers called The Path of the Open Hand that believe that the force should be free and it’s an abuse to use it as the Jedi do. One of these worshippers is a young Evereni woman named Marda Ro who is a gentle soul, devout in her worship and entrusted to take care of the Paths children, but dreams of taking to the stars to spread the Paths message. Marda’s world is turned upside down when she forms an unavoidable and affectionate connection with Kevmo and she starts to question her order and the motivations of the Path’s mysterious leader The Mother.
Wow. I am writing this having just finished the book and I almost can’t believe what I’ve read. This book is such a journey it’s unlike any other Star Wars book out there. It meanders in its pace, focusing on character and creating a sense place and atmosphere. I recognized very early on that this book will prove divisive amongst the book fans. It feels at times like a slice of life or breezy love story with a slight build-up of conflict running in the background and has for the first 75% of the book very little action. After the explosive finale of the first phase of The High Republic this will be a little disarming for some fans, but trust me when I say that by the end of this book the aim becomes clear, and you’ll look back on the earlier parts of the story with fresh, enlightened eyes and nostalgia for something you didn’t appreciate at the time.
Path of Deceit truly feels like the first chapter in The High Republic story, the catalyst for all the turmoil, loss and violence we experienced in Phase 1. If you’ve only been reading the adult High Republic books so far then I’d strongly recommend you rethink your stance because you’d be missing out on a vital piece of the puzzle if you skip this one. This is the origin point for at least one of the major players of the books so far.
Irregardless of the impact on the lore this is also a great story with some truly wonderful characters. The three main characters of Marda, Kevmo and Marda’s boisterous cousin Yana are extremely well written and likable. Kevmo is an energetic and excitable Padawan that sits just on the right side of annoying. Yana is a complex and troubled individual that has her own motivations, separate from the Path. Marda is in the running for best and most interesting character in the whole of The High Republic, it’s hard not to fall in love with her. This is all intentional of course. Ireland and Gratton have made us fall for these characters, so the inevitable hurt really knocks us off our feet. This is The High Republic after all, and Cavan Scott is not the only sadist on the writing team.
All of this bodes well for this phase, and this is a great starting point for the Phase and for new readers. It’s bold in its narrative and deliberate pacing won’t please everyone but I urge you to stick with it because you’ll be rewarded with a meaningful story and some of the best characters in The High Republic.
- Hardcover Book
- Gratton, Tessa (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 352 Pages - 10/04/2022 (Publication Date) - Random House/Star Wars (Publisher)
