Between Books - Star Wars: The High Republic A Valiant Vow

Star Wars…YEAH.

The High Republic…MEH!

But, hey I can be kind towards a book not meant for Sith adults…right.

Due to time and my past engagement, I have been trying when I can to complete High Republic books through audiobooks. Spoiler, I feel like this plan has been solid for me.

Star Wars: The High Republic A Valiant Vow, a book meant for young adult readers, by Justina Ireland, follows two groups on the planet Eriadu. The first group, a pair of Jedi knights including Imri Cantaros, support the planet’s population as the Nihil Stormwall is opening, allowing refugees to flee if they want. They must balance the weather, the creeping Gray, and a crooked government. Meanwhile, three young friends in Jedi young Tep Tep, Churo the Hutt, and Zenny, a Senator’s daughter, try to stop a Hutt plot and free Churo from the clutches of his family. The two groups may meet together for a big climax.

I have to admit, I read an earlier volume with Tep Tep, Churo, and Zenny, and I wasn’t a fan. I found there was too much going on, too many characters, and the story failed to fill my imagination. But in this case, narrator Todd Haberkorn helps the reader by providing engaging voices and clear transitions between his narration and characters. I think that element helped keep me engaged, even if the story is not the big set-piece battle one would expect for a book written for a different audience, angry Star Wars fans. The story, actions, and character growth opportunities are all appropriate for the audience age group, and I think engaging for the intended group.

It’s Imri Cantaros that most interests me. We really get to spend time here with Imri and see his character develop. We saw in Ireland’s most recent Star Wars story that Imri is remembered nearly a hundred years later as a great Jedi thinker. We even have time for Imri and Vernestra to spend time together, putting him on that journey. Readers come to enjoy a Jedi who believes in compassion and empathy. And this makes it clear to us that the fan casting of Imri as Darth Arms just can’t be true! Ireland has been spending a lot of time thinking about Imri, and wow she’s putting out books quickly.

Science should be ethical. I like Churo, not spelled Churro, and his desire to be a scientist. But I do think that his science mentor is a little quesitionable in standards. And I think we would do a little better in showing kids that science and ethics should go hand-in-hand.
 

Star Wars: The High Republic A Valiant Vow by Justina Ireland is a young adult adventure, filled with moments of friendship and empathy. It’s a book that helps us learn our lessons by watching fictional characters on an adventure. And I think that narration by Haberkorn improves the experience, and keeps this grumpy old man from going negative.

Yoda…where are you at pal?

 

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Between Books - Star Wars: The High Republic Tempest Breaker

War crimes are not cool. I’m sorry if you find that controversial, but they are horrible, truly evil, and require justice. Did Star Wars decide that redemption is more important than justice?

Star Wars: The High Republic Tempest Breaker by Cavan Scott is an audiobook with production to really provide a radio play. There is a script version available for those who prefer to read. The story follows forearm Nihil leader Lourna Dee as she works with a group of Jedi to track down a possible cure to the Blight. The story is full of adventure and danger, while we witness Lourna Dee transform from truly evil to at least gray.

I’m sorry. Lourna Dee has been a participant in truly evil mass casualty events. Scott allows us to dive deep into her personality, with the hope of finding sympathy from the reader, allowing us to accept a character transformation and redemption. But the fear for the reader is that the Jedi and the Republic will forget the horrible, atrocious acts of terror she has at times masterminded. I just need to remind everyone, Anakin Skywalker was redeemed, but he died before the next steps. Could he have moved forward with no punishment? Also, Lourna Dee isn’t even the most evil character that Scott builds sympathy for. I get that it’s enjoyable to redeem villains, but let’s not go so far as to make them heroes. Lourna Dee is not Han Solo! Their crimes were not at the same level of terror.

I also continue to struggle with the High Republic setup. Here in this book, I keep being told that Marchion Ro promised to cure the Blight. But I can’t remember when and where in everything I’ve read so far. There is a section that is a recap of other books and comics in the series. There is a pretty large plot point that I keep thinking, well, we can’t resolve this here because how many readers have picked up this audio first volume? And here, this is the moment where the High Republic attempts to more fully connect the different phases of the High Republic? I just think there are too many moving pieces, it’s too big, and disconnected in a way that keeps readers from being connected.

Okay, I like radio shows. So I love the production elements of this audiobook that makes it feel like I am listening to an action-packed story.

Yoda gets a moment.

I still can’t get past the fact that war crimes and many other horrendous acts cannot be ignored. Star Wars: The High Republic Tempest Breaker by Cavan Scott frames Lourna Dee in the language of Star Wars as a Han Solo type. Perhaps, we need to acknowledge that redemption and regret do not mean one can escape from judgment and justice.

 

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Between Books - Star Wars: Crimson Climb

 

Am I the bad guy in fandom? Star Wars High Republic titles have failed me. It’s left me feeling like I’ve been sitting on my front porch yelling at the kids to get off my Star Wars front yard! For Pete’s sake, I’ve been reading Star Trek books! Can my Grumpy Dwarf attitude ever find relief?

Star Wars: Crimson Climb by E.K. Johnston starts right where the movie Star Wars: Solo ends. Han Solo’s first love Qi’ra has made her move to take the leadership of the criminal organization Crimson Dawn. We enter the immediate moment after, right at the top of the syndicate. What happens next is not the question that Johnston explores! Instead, this book answers a question that we may have had when we watched the movie, how did Qi’ra move from a human scumrat in the White Worms of Correllia, where she met Han, to the right-hand of the leader of a powerful crime family? Star Wars: Crimson Climb moves the readers from Solo’s escape from Correllia and the impact it had on Qi’ra’s standings in the White Worms. From that moment, we follow her as she ages, leaves the White Worms, and matures from the savvy girl to the wise and powerful woman that Han meets again years later. Johnston takes us into Qi’ra’s mind as she navigates the capers and obstacles in her way, and we better understand the character's depth.

I liked it. But why?

I think a big piece of it is simply, it’s well-written. Johnston does a great job of giving us a story with tension, action, internal struggle, and emotional depth. Could this book work outside of the Star Wars galaxy? I think a lot of it could and would. It does help that we already have an introduction to Qi’ra and unanswered questions, but maybe that just allowed for some shortcuts for setup. But honestly, I was tense and stressed, and Johnston even gives us the ending of the book by having the start and end align with Star Wars: Solo and I’ve read comics that go beyond that moment.

I also think that using Qi’ra who moviegoers have already seen as smart and conflicted and tied to one of the big three Star Wars heroes helps a lot. We may never get a sequel to payoff events on the screen for Star Wars: Solo but the movie left us with questions and maybe a desire to know more. Now with Marvel Comics, who have featured an older more powerful Qi’ra, and this book which fills in gaps with the movie, we can find some satisfaction in open questions. Additionally, having seen her and supporting characters and settings on screen, I think it really helps to settle the mind by providing mental images that help tell not distract from the story.

Confession time! The High Republic brought me to a point where I also didn’t read this volume but listened as an audiobook. Narrator Olivia Hack does a wonderful voice of changing voice tone, dialect, and volume to the extent that you sometimes forget it’s unjust one narrator. Additionally, the production includes a soundtrack and audio cues that make this a super enjoyable audio adventure.

Yes, I do like Star Wars, see how I feel about Star Wars: Crimson Climb by E.K. Johnston. It’s a story full of tension, especially emotional, set in the high-paced Star Wars criminal element! I enjoyed the adventure, especially as an audiobook full of audio production elements that supported a solid story. 

 

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Between Books - Star Wars: The Battle of Jedha

 

Nope!

That’s how it started. I opened up the Kindle edition of Star Wars: The Battle of Jedha and saw it was a script, not a book and I could not do it. I returned the book immediately and requested the audiobook immediately! This was a good choice.

Star Wars: The Battle of Jedha by George Mann provides us with a narrative of a moment from the High Republic that other books have hinted at. The battle was a moment where the Path of the Open Hand challenged the Jedi’s ability to make peace in the Forever War, many Jedi were lost, and the Order was at a low point. The audiobook provides a dramatic account of the incident, complete with total audio production. The story covers a few days on Jedha as the Republic attempts to sign a major peace agreement, and the Path of the Open Hand attempts to strike silently at the prestige of the Jedi. The manipulations of the Path create a full-out battle on the world that we best know from Rogue One. There is a lot of action and fighting to keep the listener entertained.

No Yodas appear in this adventure.

I grew up loving audio shows. I had a volunteer experience where I could listen freely to old-time audio shows like The Shadow. And while I had read a script version of a Star Wars book/audio presentation in the past, I simply could not do it again. I needed the version as it was intended to be, an audio presentation with all its narration, acting, audio cues, and sound effects. And I was happy that I went to the story as it was meant to be. It was entertaining. It did its job, even being a tale from the High Republic which I am not in love with.

I do grumble a little bit about the Forever War…it’s lasted all of five years! That oddly does not feel like forever. Even in our world, the Forever War seems to have lasted a natural amount of time. I would have preferred a name like the War of Water and Sand! I just think the name was a little misplaced especially in a galaxy where the creators could have made it last 100 years or more.

This story also shows the Jedi to not be all the powerful and beloved space wizards we may expect. At Jedha, the Jedi are just one of many brands of Force users. Not everyone trusts the Jedi. This makes the manipulations of the Path even more believable. This is likely my favorite story point as we see Jedi vulnerable to galactic opinion.

I am a fan of audio productions. And Star Wars: The Battle of Jedha by George Mann is produced well with a professional cast and plenty of sound effects to keep a listener engaged. The voice actors help you care about these Jedi who you know nothing about due to voice inflection and acting. I support not reading this book and listening instead as the actors and production allow you to hear the script notes versus reading them and imagining what it should like instead. This entry is likely my favorite of the early High Republic stories, due to the well-executed production of the sound team to support Mann’s writing.

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