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A review by thisdadreads
Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade by Delilah S. Dawson
3.0
Thanks to Random House Worlds and Penguin Random House Audio for physical and audio review copies of this book.
This dad read Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade by Delilah S. Dawson! I have been eagerly awaiting this book’s publication as it’s the first time the Inquisitorius has been explored in a Star Wars novel, plus I’m a massive fan of Dawson’s work (Phasma is one of my favorites). Did the book live up to my internal hype? Let’s discuss.
The central character of Rise of the Red Blade is Iskat Akaris who, up until this point, has only appeared in Charles Soule’s 2017 Darth Vader Marvel comic book series. Going into the book, I was not familiar with Iskat as a character or her ultimate fate in the comic. Having previous knowledge is neither here nor there, as Blade jumps back into Iskat’s past and dives deeply into the tortured and unfortunate past of a gifted Force user.
The Akaris we’re introduced to in Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade is a Jedi Padawan who, putting it lightly, doesn’t fit in. She and her Master, Sember Vey, travel the galaxy collecting Force artifacts for the Jedi Archives; an assignment that she feels has purposefully kept her away from Coruscant and her Padawan peers. An accident involving Iskat took place in the not-too-distant past at the Jedi Temple, one that unfortunately caused a friend to leave the Order and has her living in a state of fear, and we all know where that leads. Iskat finds herself back on Coruscant with a new mission, to help rescue fellow Jedi from the Separatists on Geonosis; an event which, combined with her attraction to Sith artifacts, more fully opens her eyes to her true nature. Throw in her survival of Order 66 and her eventual recruitment to the Inquisitorious and you’ve got one dark and angst-filled origin story.
Dawson has crafted a novel that gave me Darth Bane vibes; Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade isn’t afraid to go to the dark side in terms of plot, themes, and characterization. In this respect, Blade stands out as a unique canonical Star Wars novel. After recently reading Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void and Phase II of The High Republic, my opinion of the Jedi Order has been morphing. I don’t know if I can get behind a group that pulls children from their homes and indoctrinates them into a strict view of the Force. Star Wars has (for the most part) told us that the Jedi are the good guys, but time and again we see their flaws and shortcomings, and these types of stories are, to me, fascinating and entertaining. I love that books like Rise of the Red Blade force readers to take a hard look at the Jedi Order and examine it in a critical way. Iskat is definitely the type of sentient who’s nature and personality isn’t one that can thrive under the Order’s strict guidelines. Now, do I think becoming an Inquistor Sister and steeping herself in the dark side is ultimately best? Not at all. Time and again, the lesson that Star Wars teaches is one of balance. There is light and dark in all of us but it’s everyone’s responsibility to find a balance that helps contribute to a harmonious world. Rise of the Red Blade does a stunning job of telling a cautionary tale of how not to help someone who doesn’t fit the traditional mold.
Speaking of balance, I’d be remiss if I said I outright loved every aspect of this book. I am a huge fan of Dawson’s writing, and it remains high quality here, but some pacing irregularities threw me. Over half of Blade takes place before Iskat joins the Inquisitorious, with numerous chapters and internal dialogue hitting home the point that she feels like a misunderstood outsider. I know this aspect of the book is deeply personal to Dawson, so no disrespect to this thematic exploration (I found myself relating to Iskat time and time again), but in general I would have liked to have had more of a balanced story, half of the novel light side and half dark. It seemed like a lot of “rise” and I was wanting more “red blade.”
Ultimately, Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade does more than simply fill in the gap of a blink-and-you’ll-miss-her side character. It exposes the interior of a tortured soul and examines a life filled with choices, some made for her and others her own. I couldn’t help but be reminded of how every day I also make dozens of choices that affect both those around me and my own internal being. Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade treads on deep and dark territory that will linger with you long after you put the book down.
Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade features amazing cover art by Anthony Jones and also comes in audiobook format, narrated by Kristen Sieh. However you decide to read this book, you’re guaranteed a good time. I give Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade
This dad read Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade by Delilah S. Dawson! I have been eagerly awaiting this book’s publication as it’s the first time the Inquisitorius has been explored in a Star Wars novel, plus I’m a massive fan of Dawson’s work (Phasma is one of my favorites). Did the book live up to my internal hype? Let’s discuss.
The central character of Rise of the Red Blade is Iskat Akaris who, up until this point, has only appeared in Charles Soule’s 2017 Darth Vader Marvel comic book series. Going into the book, I was not familiar with Iskat as a character or her ultimate fate in the comic. Having previous knowledge is neither here nor there, as Blade jumps back into Iskat’s past and dives deeply into the tortured and unfortunate past of a gifted Force user.
The Akaris we’re introduced to in Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade is a Jedi Padawan who, putting it lightly, doesn’t fit in. She and her Master, Sember Vey, travel the galaxy collecting Force artifacts for the Jedi Archives; an assignment that she feels has purposefully kept her away from Coruscant and her Padawan peers. An accident involving Iskat took place in the not-too-distant past at the Jedi Temple, one that unfortunately caused a friend to leave the Order and has her living in a state of fear, and we all know where that leads. Iskat finds herself back on Coruscant with a new mission, to help rescue fellow Jedi from the Separatists on Geonosis; an event which, combined with her attraction to Sith artifacts, more fully opens her eyes to her true nature. Throw in her survival of Order 66 and her eventual recruitment to the Inquisitorious and you’ve got one dark and angst-filled origin story.
Dawson has crafted a novel that gave me Darth Bane vibes; Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade isn’t afraid to go to the dark side in terms of plot, themes, and characterization. In this respect, Blade stands out as a unique canonical Star Wars novel. After recently reading Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void and Phase II of The High Republic, my opinion of the Jedi Order has been morphing. I don’t know if I can get behind a group that pulls children from their homes and indoctrinates them into a strict view of the Force. Star Wars has (for the most part) told us that the Jedi are the good guys, but time and again we see their flaws and shortcomings, and these types of stories are, to me, fascinating and entertaining. I love that books like Rise of the Red Blade force readers to take a hard look at the Jedi Order and examine it in a critical way. Iskat is definitely the type of sentient who’s nature and personality isn’t one that can thrive under the Order’s strict guidelines. Now, do I think becoming an Inquistor Sister and steeping herself in the dark side is ultimately best? Not at all. Time and again, the lesson that Star Wars teaches is one of balance. There is light and dark in all of us but it’s everyone’s responsibility to find a balance that helps contribute to a harmonious world. Rise of the Red Blade does a stunning job of telling a cautionary tale of how not to help someone who doesn’t fit the traditional mold.
Speaking of balance, I’d be remiss if I said I outright loved every aspect of this book. I am a huge fan of Dawson’s writing, and it remains high quality here, but some pacing irregularities threw me. Over half of Blade takes place before Iskat joins the Inquisitorious, with numerous chapters and internal dialogue hitting home the point that she feels like a misunderstood outsider. I know this aspect of the book is deeply personal to Dawson, so no disrespect to this thematic exploration (I found myself relating to Iskat time and time again), but in general I would have liked to have had more of a balanced story, half of the novel light side and half dark. It seemed like a lot of “rise” and I was wanting more “red blade.”
Ultimately, Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade does more than simply fill in the gap of a blink-and-you’ll-miss-her side character. It exposes the interior of a tortured soul and examines a life filled with choices, some made for her and others her own. I couldn’t help but be reminded of how every day I also make dozens of choices that affect both those around me and my own internal being. Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade treads on deep and dark territory that will linger with you long after you put the book down.
Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade features amazing cover art by Anthony Jones and also comes in audiobook format, narrated by Kristen Sieh. However you decide to read this book, you’re guaranteed a good time. I give Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade