Lit Books Star Wars The High Republic: Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule

Yep, those two are best treated as a pair.

 

So I’m 45% Through this and I’m loving it. But I also feel like this novel is making a strong case for mace windus survival.

 

I imagine getting a face full of unleashed dark side lightning isn't going to make Jedi falling powers particularly responsive.

IG: @jedisufism

 

I finished this yesterday and I realize some things I found as criticisms throughout the book are addressed in the last couple of chapters.

This is easily one of my favorite new SW books. Lots of great characters, the action is near non-stop, you honestly don't know who's going to die because everyone is on the table (sort of like GoT in that regard...). Also excellent use of hyperspace and aliens. One of my initial misgivings had been they would make the galaxy feel too "primitive" compared to the two centuries this supposedly takes before the films, but that absolutely didn't happen.

Which brings me to my quibble... the Clone Wars Separatists and Eriadu. I'll hide the rest in spoilers. The coincidences with the films were a growing issue throughout the novel, until I realized it was all intentional:

Spoiler

Case 1: "Good" Separatists

Lina Soh surrounds herself with individuals who would later become Separatists. Her top aide is a Koorivar, the secretary of transport is a Muun, that grouch running the Outer Rim is a Serennoan. At first I thought this was cool and anti-stereotype, until it started to seem... wrong? Like all these people (minus Serennoan the Grouch for the most part) were very helpful and hopeful and wanted the best for the galaxy. There are a few times Sep planets are mentioned throughout the novel, and never in a bad light -- always very optimistic.

And then I realized in that last chapter when Soh's talking with all these guys and gals, that's exactly the point -- some of her strongest, staunchest allies become the Republic's enemies in a few generations. In her final words, she says if she's remembered for anything, she wants it to be the slogan "We are all the Republic" and the sentiment behind it. Well darn, we not only never hear this years later, but her greatest allies become the ones disillusioned with the thing they're fighting for.

Case 2: Eriadu

I thought it was almost eye-roll silly to have Eriadu suffer the most casualties in the Emergences crisis. As in, "I guess we should feel sorry for them now? Is this supposed to give some measure of justification to Tarkin's actions in ANH?" I was particularly worried about the latter. The fact Eriadu actually tried to pay to stay alive added to my concern that they were not behaving particularly... Eriaduan. I can't imagine Tarkin or anyone we've seen from his planet paying off pirates when there was no guarantee it would do anything.

But then the end made two things clear: 1) The Republic doesn't have a navy of any great size so it nearly gets its butt kicked by a group of pirates (Marchion comments that the full Nihil force was a few thousand individuals, so Kassav's force couldn't have been huge), thus it relies on planets like Eriadu for help; 2) the Eriaduans coming in like the Army of the Dead in Return of the King was pretty neat. The first of these ties closely with the old EU and how Tarkin and the other regional governors were adamant about the Empire maintaining strong armies in the Outer Rim (which later sort of contributed to the splintered Imperial Warlord problem). I assume Soule was going more for "the Republic still doesn't have an army in the films, and relies too much on the Jedi". Regardless, it works fine.

In sum, this is definitely a story worthy of serving as a two-century prelude to the films.

 

There was definitely enough in there to come to an understanding that the Outer Rim isn't unexplored or even really unknown to the Republic, it's that the Republic’s influence isn't expanded out there. Ironically, it isnt in TPM fully either.

The last war destabilized the galaxy more completely than I think it had ever been depicted in Legends. Legends sort of always went with the idea that galaxywide governments are practically interchangeable. As if it doesn't matter to regular folks who is in power.... and that couldn't be more false.

When empires fall, things get shaken up. Shoot, when nations fall it's a mess for a very long time. Look at Syria.

Whether it's the Sith Empire, the Republic, Galactic Empire or New Republic.... recovery is going to take ages.


IG: @jedisufism

 

@Dawud786

Yes...I think Canon in general has done a way better job of showing the chaos once a government has fallen in general. Like the Empire, it just collapses in Aftermath and it's pretty much a whole free for all.


Not only that but I think the last Jedi/Sith war is on the scale of ....well to use Silmarillion from Tolkein's work....The War of Wrath, which was the last big war agains Morgoth. And boy it was so big it destroyed a entire continent.

So I can't wait to see Nucanon's depiction of the Jedi/Sith wars from that time

 

Finished. Must say overall I’m unimpressed with this 1st SW book after all these years since EU ended. Man it had a stellar opening bit but it fell apart in part 2. Villains were laughable and I lived through Kuller and Exur Kun days. This book felt like it was written for grade schoolers even if it had some death and gore...the author was just unimpressive in parts 2&3 in execution imo, not to mention his horrendous pacing.

I think this should have went back further then only 200 yrs. Could have been really cool to cherry-pick this with Knight Errant. 500-700 years would have been much better to me.

I’m not the know it all SW fan I was pre 2012 sale and what made the cut to NU but I think

Spoiler

Nilhil(god they were horrible to read about)/Ro have some connection or relationship/worship(?) to Darth Nil of KOTOR

2.5 of 5 for me.

He did a great job anything Jedi related so credit there.

Could I see myself reading the next book? Yeah probably so just not top on my list to rush to do.

 

That is one of the great things about the nu Canon compared to Legends, even though we practically have no canon Old Republic content, already the ancient Sith caused far more destruction then there legend counterparts.

It going to be tricky a bit in how they will be portrayed. On one hand Sith infighting caused problems which eventually led to them being wiped out (minus Bane). But on the other hand pre-Banite Sith lasted far longer then Bane's order, and had to have periods of unifications to some degree, to be responsible for collapsing the Old Republic and being the reason why the Galactic Republic took hundreds of years to rebuild many parts of the galaxy.

The whole "Sith Unity" and "Sith infighting" can lead to diverse views amongst the Sith. There could be Sith who try to reign in the inner conflict (Bane was not the first to try this), believing that only united can they wipe out the Jedi/Republic (and perhaps they almost succeed because the Jedi have had pre-Order 66 purges mentioned in LoTJ).

You could have these Sith come into conflict with Sith who don't care. Perhaps during the days of Sith Empires, you also had Sith who were not apart of some Empire, no loyalty whatsoever. Maybe Momin was like this, or he existed in a time where no Sith empire existed and all Sith were scattered across the galaxy.

There could also be the "Lost Tribe of Sith" method. A certain faction of Sith broke away from the Sith empire (intentionally or accidently) long ago and now have their own separate identity away from the current Sith Empire.

So other then the usual "Sith Empire Civil War", there are other ways to portray the unity vs infighting when it comes to the Old Republic Sith.

Im looking foward to seeing what we get.

Reading High Republic material and getting those Old Republic references, is making me more excited to see that era, when it eventually arrives. I can wait longer.......

 

@StarWarsFan91

Well in terms of Sith infighting we also have to think maybe the Sith themselves didn't have the "Unified Empire" as well.

I remember in the Dark Legends book A Life Immortal one of the reasons Darth Noctyss looked for Exegol was because after years of ravaging world and building her kingdom she wanted to preserve what she had built.

So maybe there were also time Sith Fiefdoms and Kingdoms and Sith Warlords beyond just the whole unified Sith Empire thing.

Then maybe like IDK...The Crusades Sith Kingdoms and Factions would gather under a leadership or "Leaderships" form a unified Empire whenever a really strong Lord came around and that's when the great Jedi/Sith Wars begin.

But that's just a theory.

 

I agree that various Sith factions existed at once, but I also believe at least one time....most Sith unified to some degree (before eventually collapsing from conflict/infighting). It was in this "unification" that they were able to purge the Jedi to very low members and eventually collapse the Old Republic in the final era before the Galactic Republic, before they fell apart themselves.

 

Probably they unified a few times if i had to guess.

Especially if they do that KOTOR re-imaginning thing maybe Revan's time was a time of Sith unification ...again if that is even a thing.

Obviously during the last Jedi/Sith War the Sith had to be unified as you say.

I could be wrong but I'm keeping my eye on Taikai's movie.

 

That would be great, though I also wouldn't mind if it wasn't Old Republic, as long as its pre-TPM.

Maybe he will give us the opposite of all this "last Jedi" theme of the ST by going back to the origins of the Jedi and seeing how the Prime Jedi came to be.

 

I would love that only because if I were to base the Prime Jedi off of anything I would base him off of Avatar Wan from Legend of Korra...which would be good template to follow in terms of tone.

 

Just finished and loved it! Thought part 1 was suitably tense like a diastor movie, probably intentional. I did think part 2 lagged a little but part 3 I sped though in 2 hours!

Spoiler

With the mention that some of the Republic's fleet came from Aldaraan I did find myself wondering if something happens during the High Republic to cause them to become the pacifists we know from the movie era

.

 

^Yeah, I thought that was odd too. At first I assumed it was a mistake, but there are enough trivial details Soule clearly put thought into throughout the rest of the book that I think it must have been intentional, perhaps for the reason you suggest.

 

I hope we see it.

Spoiler

In legends it was the Clone Wars that lead to the pacifism, but maybe not here.

 

Honestly sometimes I think people take that "Alderaan is peaceful! We have no weapons!" line too literally. She just meant that they're not secretly stockpiling weapons to overthrow the Empire, which is a lie anyway.

 

With the next wave of books due in July, might be we're seeing the regular structure for the High Republic:

- Twice a year - Main book + Junior book
- A month later - YA book
- In-between are comic TPBs and Manga

 

I finished this today, 3/5 stars.

This book was okay. I found using the first quarter of it on the Legacy Run/Hetzal incident boring. It seemed to even after that take a while to warm up. I do agree, it seems everyone was on the line Avar, Elzar, etc. I even thought Loden was a goner but well he's not much better now. I was just mixed on it even past the half way. I've read Soule's stuff at Marvel but the novel didn't do it for me. I have the Gray's (who I'm a fan of) YA novel which I'm looking forward to that though. I also have the 1st issue of the comic I've yet to read but as of now I'm not overly looking forward to July.

 

So i read this when it first got out, i read to times and i loved Loden Greatstorm and Bell, best new characters, Avar Kriis and Ezlar Mann were great too, loved their characters and what was hinted between them. We get to see the jedi order in a new era and new light. They are not the downer jedi yet, they are fullvof hope and inlightment. I loved the worldbuilding. The first few chapters were great, new iconic soundtrack.

Spoiler

I loved new things we learned like bacta tank is new and holograms is not yet invented. the outer regions is not yet settled and they tri to find new hyperspace routes. The San tekka clan and their importance as inventers of new hyper space lanes. The romatic tension between Avar and Elzar, his visions of the future. We see old faces, like Yareal Poof and Oppo ranciss. We learn of dark ages a few centuries past. the sith wars must have destroyed most of the galaxy. Love this book and era.

 

wasn't there a cyan lightsaber blade in the book? I thought I read one in it? Or was it the art.

 

I don't think they got much into "in between" hues. There are most definitely multiple instances of blue, green, yellow, purple and white. I take it that when they say "gold" or "violet" or "emerald" they're just using synonyms for the stock colors. It wouldn't be too odd for that to change, but I don't think is has so far.

 

Yep, I remember there wasn't. There was the gold, green, blue and white that I remember. There might have have been also purple. But no cyan. The thing is I watched a video on youtube with some guy explaining the colors out of the three pieces of art and thought for some reason it was in there.

 

Purple shows up in other HR works, and Vernestra Rwoh is a major character who has one -- it's got some, erm, unique features, but the color itself isn't uncommon.

There's a lot of High Republic art out there from the concept stages that seems to feature discarded characters. Don't hold your breath for that cool looking Bith Jedi, for example!

 

My mind went immediately to the Bith Jedi in AOTC speaking with Aayla Secura in that scene between Obi-Wan, Yoda and the Bear Clan.

Never been officially named but I've thought about calling him "Ph'ton" from the General Grievous comics.