The High Republic: The Rising Storm
Following the dramatic events of Light of the Jedi, the heroes of the High Republic era return to face a shattered peace and a fearsome foe.
In the wake of the Great Hyperspace Disaster and the heroism of the Jedi, the Republic continues to grow, bringing more worlds together under a single unified banner. Led by Chancellor Lina Soh, the spirit of unity extends throughout the galaxy, with the Jedi and newly established Starlight Beacon station at the vanguard.
In celebration, the chancellor plans “The Republic Fair,” a showcase of the possibility and peace of the expanding Republic—a precept the Jedi hope to foster. Stellan Gios, Bell Zettifar, Elzar Mann, and others join the event as ambassadors of harmony. But as the eyes of the galaxy turn toward the Fair, so too does the fury of the Nihil. Their leader, Marchion Ro, is intent on destroying this spirit of unity. His storm descends on the pageantry and celebration, sowing chaos and exacting revenge.
As the Jedi struggle to curb the carnage of the rampaging Nihil, they come face to face with the true fear their enemy plans to unleash across the galaxy. The kind of fear that even the Force cannot shield them from.
Author: Cavan Scott
Cover artist: Joseph Meehan
Release date: June 29, 2021
Pages: 336
ISBN: 9780593159415
The second novel in The High Republic initiative, The Rising Storm, has finally hit shelves worldwide. Picking up where January’s Light of the Jedi left off, it serves as the next major installment in the story of the overall event. It’s also the first adult Del Rey novel from fan favorite author Cavan Scott, though he previously wrote the Dooku: Jedi Lost audio drama for them. The story follows the events of the Republic Fair on the planet Valo, intended to help the galaxy recover from the stress of the recent Great Disaster. When the Nihil launch an attack on the fair, the Jedi and everyone else with them are forced to fight for survival.
If Light of the Jedi was The High Republic‘s A New Hope, The Rising Storm is most definitely its The Empire Strikes Back. While it keeps a lot of the more hopeful elements of the era from the previous installment, a good portion of the book takes a pretty dark tone. Most of the main characters make it out intact but the body count is still high and often brutal, and many of the characters are forced to grapple with some hard lessons.
It isn’t until the attack begins in the second act that the book really kicks into high gear, but the time spent setting that up in the first half preparing for the Republic Fair makes it all the more worthwhile once it starts going and it doesn’t ease up until the final page. The frantic chaos of the fair makes the book fly by a lot faster than I realized on my first read. The constantly changing point of view might make it hard to keep plots straight for some people but I thought it enhanced the tension and made the attack feel like something happening in real time.
The book’s handling of its characters is very similar to Light of the Jedi; there is no one protagonist with the point of view jumping between a large cast of main characters and secondary characters. Much of that cast and their arcs are inherited from the previous book, with Elzar Mann and Bell Zettifar being two of the most important characters in the book. It’s impressive how their journeys continue pretty seamlessly, without any noticeable disconnects that have happened in some previous multi-author Star Wars series.
Among the other characters to take the spotlight in the book is Stellan Gios. While he was a presence in the initiative before now, this is the first time we get to see him shine in any important role. The character arc he starts in this book is very interesting, with what feels like some shades of the prequel-era Jedi in it. By the end of the story he’s forced into a role that will be particularly interesting to see developed in future stories. The most important new character that the book introduces is monster hunter Ty Yorrick, who brings a more roguish perspective to the story. She doesn’t end up with quite as much focus as I’d expected but she still plays an important part and quickly became a new favorite of mine. The hints at her backstory will excite some sharp-eyed fans and I’m really intrigued by what little is given here.
The novel’s final primary character to talk about is, of course, the main antagonist Marchion Ro. Marchion was a standout for me in Light of the Jedi and his backstory teases made me really anxious to learn more in the next story. This book does a good job of balancing between keeping the character shrouded in mystery while also giving us some answers about who he is and what his backstory entails so it doesn’t feel like we’re left hanging on the same things as last time. His brutality and ruthlessness bring an important tone to the book, and it makes some scenes in the conclusion hit particularly hard.
Some of the newer secondary characters make strong impressions of their own, with Chancellor Soh’s son Kitrep and archivist OrbaLin coming to mind, and it’s also great to see familiar favorites like Burryaga. The absences of the book are felt too, with it being made clear that characters like Avar Kriss and Yoda are on their own adventures that can be found in other stories.
The Republic itself is its own presence in the book that deserves discussion as well. Light of the Jedi established that the differences between the Republic of this era and the Republic of the prequels are many, and The Rising Storm continues to display this in new ways. In the prequel era, the Republic has fractured itself into a mess of corruption and war, but in this era the heroes’ worst political opponent is someone with pure motives who cares about the Republic just as much in their own way. On the other hand, I think the book does still plant some seeds towards the slow decline of the Republic, and seeing where those seeds go is one of the things I’m most looking forward to following.
As an individual novel, the book tells a satisfying story with its own narrative. The plot threads and character arcs come together in a way that gives the reader enough closure for this tale even though the cliffhangers increase the anticipation of the next ones. The connections to the rest of the initiative also work very well, and it can be rewarding for readers of everything to spot the crossovers and especially the payoffs.
Speaking of other The High Republic stories, also releasing today is Daniel José Older’s middle grade book Race to Crashpoint Tower. While it has its own self-contained plot, it also serves as a sort of companion to The Rising Storm. There are even a few directly overlapping scenes, which makes them a good read back-to-back. It’s a fun ride and I definitely recommend picking it up either before or after this one.
Overall, I was very pleased with The Rising Storm. I’ll have to sit on it a little longer to decide if I enjoyed it more than Light of the Jedi or not but they’re at least equal for me. My expectations for this initiative have been very high but the books have yet to let me down at all. I can’t wait to continue following the story with these characters for years to come.
Guest review by Numidian Prime.