Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith
Just in time to celebrate the highly-anticipated re-match between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader in the Disney+ forthcoming event Obi-Wan Kenobi, here are ten original stories about the the valiant Jedi and the evil Sith. Larger-than-life characters clash in epic lightsaber battles that will appeal to young readers and to the young Star Wars fan in all of us!
Ten acclaimed authors imagine new tales for some of the most iconic Star Wars characters ever, from Luke Skywalker to Darth Vader, from Obi-Wan Kenobi to Darth Maul, and beyond, complete with beautiful spot illustrations
Authors: Roseanne A. Brown writes Rey
Sarwat Chadda writes Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker
Delilah S. Dawson writes Asajj Ventress
Tessa Gratton writes Emperor Palpatine
Michael Kogge writes Yoda
Sam Maggs writes Luke Skywalker
Michael Moreci writes Darth Maul
Alex Segura writes Qui-Gon Jinn
Vera Strange writes Darth Vader
Karen Strong writes Barriss Offee
Release Date: June 7th, 2022
Page Count: 352
ISBN: 9781368080545, 1368080545
Stories of Jedi and Sith is the latest release by Disney publishing and it collects ten original short stories, each focusing on different Jedi or Sith characters throughout the timeline and each written by a different author. Unlike the From A Certain Point of View collections, the stories follow a similar, easy reading style aimed at younger readers. They’re not quite middle grade but I also wouldn’t categorise them as YA, they’re somewhere between the two. If you ever read the Clone Wars collection, Stories of Light and Dark you will know what to expect as this seems to be a follow-up of sorts, in format and presentation rather than content as this has definitely has a lot more original material than it’s predecessor.
The stories are consistently entertaining, with the harshest criticism one could level at the weaker ones is that they are entertaining but inconsequential. The Qui-Gon story “Resolve” by Alex Segura is one such story, as whilst it has it’s moments it ultimately seems aimless and I believe Segura has struggled to capture Qui-Gon’s voice and character successfully. I anticipate readers questioning the point of Delilah S Dawson’s Ventress story “Worthless” but I’m going to pre-emptively argue in it’s defence by naming it as a wonderful character study that strongly indicates a deep understanding of the character. I’d love to see Dawson tackle a full length Ventress novel someday as it’s clear she has a lot of affection for the character (please write a third Vi book first though!).
The stories that really worked for me were the ones from the perspective of original, younger characters that were experiencing the legends of these god-like figures first hand. It really added to the mythos that surrounds the Jedi and gave us a glimpse as to how the regular folks in the galaxy view them. The very first story “What a Jedi Makes” by Star Wars veteran Michael Kogge is particularly wonderful, following a young and destitute street kid from the lower levels of Coruscant during the High Republic. He dreams of being a Jedi and is determined to overcome his status and join their ranks. Stories like this are what I look for in collections like these as they’re not tales that could sustain a full length novel but they add a much needed colour to the universe and a shift in perspective. Another standout is “The Eye of the Beholder” by Sarwat Chadda. This follows two children, stranded and dealing with the horrors of war and impossible survival and I found it genuinely affecting. Chadda manages to effectively convey the sheer terror the regular citizens of the galaxy go through and the suffering they face through the machinations of Palpatine. It also shows what the Jedi, at their best, mean to these people. I’d love to see more Star Wars stories from Chadda in the future.
“Masters” by Tessa Gratton seems like it would be a great fit for the inevitable upcoming Return of the Jedi: From a Certain Point of View as it shows Emperor Palpatine, reflecting back on his rivalry and battle with Yoda during Revenge of the Sith, as he is poised to enact his secret plan against the Rebellion in the throne room of the second Death Star. This story is worth noting as it adds a lovely unexpected bit of canon lore that will no doubt get fans reeling.
The last story I’d like to highlight is actually the last story in the collection, “Through the Turbulence” by Roseanne A. Brown. As I turned the page and realised that it was a Rey story I actually gasped. Until that moment I hadn’t realised how starved of Sequel era content we have been in the last couple of years. It was so good to read about Rey and Poe again and I sincerely hope we get more stories set in this era. The story itself was slight but a damn good time. Please Lucasfilm, greenlight some more Sequel era books!
Each story has an accompanying illustration by the incredible Jake Bartok and the book is almost worth it for these alone. He’s a master of his craft and I look forward to seeing what Star Wars projects he gets to work on next.
- Hardcover Book
- Lucasfilm Press (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 352 Pages - 06/07/2022 (Publication Date) - Random House/Star Wars (Publisher)
