Book Review: Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows

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Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows

Long before the Clone Wars, the Empire, or the First Order, the Jedi lit the way for the galaxy in a golden age known as the High Republic!

Sylvestri Yarrow is on a streak of bad luck with no end of sight. She’s been doing her best to keep the family cargo business going after her mom’s death, but between mounting debt and increasing attacks by the Nihil on unsuspecting ships, Syl is in danger of losing all she has left of her mother. She heads to the galactic capital of Coruscant for help, but gets sidetracked when she’s drawn into a squabble between two powerful families over a patch of space on the frontier. Knee-deep in familial politics is the last place Syl wants to be, but the promise of a big payoff is enough to keep her interested… Meanwhile, Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh has been summoned to Coruscant, but with no idea of why or by whom. She and her Padawan Imri hitch a ride to the capital with Jedi Master Cohmac and his Padawan, Reath—and are asked to assist with the property dispute on the frontier. But why? What is so important about an empty patch of space? The answer will lead Vernestra to a new understanding of her abilities, and will take Syl back to the past…and to truths that will finally come out of the shadows.

Author: Justina Ireland
Release Date: July 27th, 2021
Page Count: 352
ISBN: 9781368060653

Out today is the new young adult novel from Justina Ireland in the fan favorite The High Republic initiative, Out of the Shadows. Set after the shocking events of The Rising Storm, chaos mounts in the galaxy as the Republic escalates their pursuit of the Nihil. Amidst this changing balance of power, Jedi and non-Jedi alike find themselves wrapped up in a secret conflict involving some of the most powerful people in the galaxy.

The conspiracy plot brings this book a different tone from any of the others in the line so far, which I enjoyed a good deal. Certain character motivations slowly unfurl over the course of the entire book but none of the twists feel unearned, the characters all feel consistent from beginning to end. I had remembered some aspects of the plot confusing me the first time around but I was surprised to find that wasn’t the case on my second read, I managed to follow everything without difficulty. The new players introduced in this story make the world of The High Republic even more interesting than it was before and I’m curious how they will continue to factor in.

The book continues plotlines from all over The High Republic, which is very satisfying for those reading everything but might alienate others if it didn’t also take steps to stand on its own. The new protagonist, Sylvestri Yarrow, makes the book a decent entry point for new readers as well. She’s a kind of character we haven’t seen in the initiative yet and she’s perfectly suited for the intrigue of the conspiracy plot. Her highs and lows are compelling to follow and I’m really looking forward to seeing where her story goes from here.

It’s nice to see character arcs continuing from other projects, beyond just plot beats. Vernestra and Imri continue their journeys not just from A Test of Courage, but Race to Crashpoint Tower as well. Following these characters through multiple stories in the initiative allows us to learn more about them and see new facets of their personality that weren’t shown previously. Their Master/Padawan dynamic is entirely unlike any other I can think of with its own set of unique challenges that add an interesting dimension.

The other familiar characters that are nice to see back are Reath Silas and Cohmac Vitus from Into the Dark. Cohmac in particular shines in this book, with a number of memorable interactions with Vernestra. We’re still early on in the initiative but there’s something already so rewarding about seeing characters we’ve followed separately begin to come together. The relationships established in this book seem like ones that we can expect to see blossom for years to come and I’m very excited for that.

Speaking of that, I was impressed with how the book feels like it continues the momentum of the initiative while not completely following up on the still-recent massive reveals at the very end of The Rising Storm. Some plots are reserved for the next adult novel, but this book still feels like an important piece of The High Republic story. Seeds big and small are laid out, even while the book comes to a conclusion of its own.

Overall, I thought the book was a very worthy installment in a series that I continue to get more and more invested in. I’m not sure I’m ever going to get tired of following these adventures and each story still brings a very welcome new vibe to Star Wars publishing.

Guest review by Numidian Prime.

Sale
Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows
  • Hardcover Book
  • Ireland, Justina (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 432 Pages - 07/27/2021 (Publication Date) - Disney Lucasfilm Press (Publisher)
Guest Contributor
Guest Contributor
Guest articles by contributors from across the galaxy.
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Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows

Long before the Clone Wars, the Empire, or the First Order, the Jedi lit the way for the galaxy in a golden age known as the High Republic!

Sylvestri Yarrow is on a streak of bad luck with no end of sight. She’s been doing her best to keep the family cargo business going after her mom’s death, but between mounting debt and increasing attacks by the Nihil on unsuspecting ships, Syl is in danger of losing all she has left of her mother. She heads to the galactic capital of Coruscant for help, but gets sidetracked when she’s drawn into a squabble between two powerful families over a patch of space on the frontier. Knee-deep in familial politics is the last place Syl wants to be, but the promise of a big payoff is enough to keep her interested… Meanwhile, Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh has been summoned to Coruscant, but with no idea of why or by whom. She and her Padawan Imri hitch a ride to the capital with Jedi Master Cohmac and his Padawan, Reath—and are asked to assist with the property dispute on the frontier. But why? What is so important about an empty patch of space? The answer will lead Vernestra to a new understanding of her abilities, and will take Syl back to the past…and to truths that will finally come out of the shadows.

Author: Justina Ireland
Release Date: July 27th, 2021
Page Count: 352
ISBN: 9781368060653

Out today is the new young adult novel from Justina Ireland in the fan favorite The High Republic initiative, Out of the Shadows. Set after the shocking events of The Rising Storm, chaos mounts in the galaxy as the Republic escalates their pursuit of the Nihil. Amidst this changing balance of power, Jedi and non-Jedi alike find themselves wrapped up in a secret conflict involving some of the most powerful people in the galaxy.

The conspiracy plot brings this book a different tone from any of the others in the line so far, which I enjoyed a good deal. Certain character motivations slowly unfurl over the course of the entire book but none of the twists feel unearned, the characters all feel consistent from beginning to end. I had remembered some aspects of the plot confusing me the first time around but I was surprised to find that wasn’t the case on my second read, I managed to follow everything without difficulty. The new players introduced in this story make the world of The High Republic even more interesting than it was before and I’m curious how they will continue to factor in.

The book continues plotlines from all over The High Republic, which is very satisfying for those reading everything but might alienate others if it didn’t also take steps to stand on its own. The new protagonist, Sylvestri Yarrow, makes the book a decent entry point for new readers as well. She’s a kind of character we haven’t seen in the initiative yet and she’s perfectly suited for the intrigue of the conspiracy plot. Her highs and lows are compelling to follow and I’m really looking forward to seeing where her story goes from here.

It’s nice to see character arcs continuing from other projects, beyond just plot beats. Vernestra and Imri continue their journeys not just from A Test of Courage, but Race to Crashpoint Tower as well. Following these characters through multiple stories in the initiative allows us to learn more about them and see new facets of their personality that weren’t shown previously. Their Master/Padawan dynamic is entirely unlike any other I can think of with its own set of unique challenges that add an interesting dimension.

The other familiar characters that are nice to see back are Reath Silas and Cohmac Vitus from Into the Dark. Cohmac in particular shines in this book, with a number of memorable interactions with Vernestra. We’re still early on in the initiative but there’s something already so rewarding about seeing characters we’ve followed separately begin to come together. The relationships established in this book seem like ones that we can expect to see blossom for years to come and I’m very excited for that.

Speaking of that, I was impressed with how the book feels like it continues the momentum of the initiative while not completely following up on the still-recent massive reveals at the very end of The Rising Storm. Some plots are reserved for the next adult novel, but this book still feels like an important piece of The High Republic story. Seeds big and small are laid out, even while the book comes to a conclusion of its own.

Overall, I thought the book was a very worthy installment in a series that I continue to get more and more invested in. I’m not sure I’m ever going to get tired of following these adventures and each story still brings a very welcome new vibe to Star Wars publishing.

Guest review by Numidian Prime.

Sale
Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows
  • Hardcover Book
  • Ireland, Justina (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 432 Pages - 07/27/2021 (Publication Date) - Disney Lucasfilm Press (Publisher)
Guest Contributor
Guest Contributor
Guest articles by contributors from across the galaxy.
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
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