Reviews Books The JC Lit Reviews Special: TEARS OF THE NAMELESS (Spoilers)

You've seen tears from a living mountain, how 'bout tears from horrific soul sucking monsters? Here's the review thread for Tears of the Nameless by George Mann. Go ahead and give it a score on the 1-10 scale, as long as you have read or listened to the entire book. Reviews are not necessary but are encouraged, but you wouldn't want to tempt the Nameless would you!?

 

10 out of 10.

One of my favorite High Republic entries. Highly recommended as an essential read to all High Republic fans since it will provide many answers to burning questions and will not disappoint.

 

With an existential threat breathing down the necks of the Jedi, the search for a way to defeat it has become their top priority. This responsibility has mostly landed at the feet of young knight Reath Silas, who has already been through so much in the conflict with the Nihil, but he may be the best bet at solving the mystery behind the terrifying Nameless. Filled with uncertainty over the departure of his master, this bookworm finds solving a seemingly impossible mystery the best way to cope. But Reath is running out of time, as blight spreads from planet to planet, and the Children of the Nihil are on the hunt, ready to unleash the Nameless on the hapless Jedi.

Much of this book is dedicated to various characters’ quests for knowledge about the Nameless, so it’s less about fun action and more about research and investigations. Much of Reath’s time is spent in the Jedi archives poring over oodles of sources that might provide insight into the Nameless, while his erstwhile master Cohmac Vitus is out in the field looking for his own answers, namely following the trail of the ancient Tolemites, who may have encountered the Nameless thousands of years ago, and may have discovered a way to control them. Reath also frequently consults with the enigmatic fallen Jedi Azlin Rell, though the man’s mind is so far gone that he’s unable to provide the insight Reath seeks. Instead Reath finds a valuable sounding board in Amadeo Azzazzo, a young padawan who hasn’t felt the impact of the Nihil conflict as keenly as some of his peers. Though of course that changes with the untimely death of his master at the hands of a Nameless, but he does not waver in his dedication to the fight. It’s definitely one of the darker entries in The High Republic, especially with its villain, a completely unhinged Child of the Storm who’s nothing short of a complete psychopath. Mann took plenty of time diving into this twisted type of person who’s so mad with power he believes he can master the Nameless on his own, so naturally it’s a little cathartic when they turn on him, but as usual for Mann it’s a pretty horrific incident.

It’s not all books and terror though, when Reath and Cohmac finally reunite and head to the lost homeworld of the Tolemites. This was a really cool look at a lost civilization, with half their ruins underwater and half partially consumed by the blight that’s been affecting world after world. It felt like something out of Indiana Jones, and though they don’t find much, they do find some essential clues about how to fight against the Nameless. And speaking of the blight, things take another horrific turn when the it is discovered underneath the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Here we focus a little on our old friend Vernestra, who’s in a general funk during the book, feeling uneasy about Azlin, the blight, and the general state of the conflict with the Nihil. It felt a little little like Mann was starting to shift her towards her characterization in The Acolyte, while still keeping in tune with her arc so far in these books. At its core though the book is about Reath’s growth from a green knight to a more confident and sure-footed adult, and how he learns to value the advice and input of his peers rather than just following other’s examples, as he used to do as Cohmac’s apprentice.

I give Tears of the Nameless a 9.21 out of 10 for a fun story of discoveries and triumphs over adversity.