A review by trey_shupp
Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule

3.0

Summary

Light of the Jedi is a book that in complete transparency both delivers on the promise of a new expansion to the Star Wars universe while also tripping a few times before getting back up. Right from the start, the book punches you with a mysterious disaster across the galaxy as pieces of (shall we say) waste emerge out of hyperspace and seemingly set to destroy planets and people.

Yeah...what a way to start. Even before really knowing our characters!

Now I should say this plot is a pretty good way of introducing the sheer power of the Jedi at this point in the timeline. Yet, with this being the height of the Jedi power...there are a lot of Jedi. I mean a lot. Sometimes it is hard to even keep track who is who and what they are suppose to look like at times.

The author here decides to not choose one specific character to follow as our protagonist but weave many characters and their stories together for what is a pretty cohesive piece.


Plot

The plot of this book centers around the Hyperspace Disaster while simultaneously jumping around showing multiple perspectives on this major event in the Star Wars timeline. The book is split into three sections where the first shoots you right out of the gate and into action as the Jedi of the High Republic try and stop the Hyperspace Disaster from being…well a disaster. This section was very engaging and allowed readers to start learning who these Jedi are and the state of the Republic at the time. While the mystery of the Hyperspace Disaster is left like that for the time being, the fear and the anxiety lifts right off the pages.

As the disater comes (at least for the time) to a close, the next section shows us a new threat to the galaxy…the Nihil

The Nihil are some of my favorite Star Wars villains up to this point as they are not Sith or anywhere close but a villainous organization just bent on taking what is theirs. Think space pirates! The best part is that throughout this book we see the structure and organization of the group and learn they are not merely a side villain but a threat to be reckoned with.

I could go on about the plot but with the many twists and reveals about this new era of Star Wars, it is best left to the reader to see for themselves.

7/10


Characters/Arcs

Wow. Just wow. There are some many characters in this first book that it is honestly hard to keep track of and I found myself going back to Wookiepedia just remember characters from a few chapters ago.

Some characters had me gripped from their first introduction while others had me wanting more. Yet, I can't fault the characters themselves as there really was not one protagonist but multiple.

Standouts include Avar Kriss, Elzar Mann, Loden Greatstorm, and his Padawan Bell Zettifar. Not to mention the villainous Marchion Ro (the Eye of the Nihil). These characters were all built up so well by the author and given respectable motives, arcs, and flaws of their own. It would have been easy to not give Jedi of the High Republic flaw and show them as holy figures during a time of peace. Yet, Soule gives every Jedi a unique characteristic that makes you want more of them on the page. As for Ro, Soule gives him the terrifying treatment of a villain you know you are going to see more of throughout the High Republic. While reading, you feel Soule telling readers "Buckle Up! We are just getting started".

9.5/10

Themes

I think the biggest theme found in this book was the idea of unity in times of disaster. The book really starts out with the disaster taking everyone off guard while the Republic and Jedi are gearing up for more political voyages charting the unknown reaches of the galaxy. Yet, when the disaster happens, all hell breaks loose and many don't know what to do and try their best to help those they can. Yet, we see through the foils of the Nihil and the later portions of the book what unity among the Jedi and Republic can do.

Is it the best theme of Star Wars? Not really but it succeeds where it was meant to be. My hope that through this we get to see more growth and hopefully some failures of the Jedi leading to more themes of doubt and pride of them. We will see.

6/10

Writing

I do have to give it to the author Charles Soule, he had the task of starting the new era of Star Wars and had to do it well. I am glad to say this was an excellent way of kicking off the High Republic and made me invested in it. I was not that big of a fan of the writing style but the plot was original and interesting to say the least. I would have preferred to stick with one central character while flipping to the Nihil's point of view every now and then.

5/10

Entertainment

This is by far the easiest category to rank high. This book is great! If you are a Star Wars fan or even just a fan of the movies, this book is for you. There is emotion, action, intrigue, and adventure. The twists were massive and the introduction to the world makes the Star Wars Universe just even more massive. Probably not a book for those uninvested in the Star Wars canon, but for sure a ride of it's own if you are.

8/10

Overall Rating: 7.1