She folded her legs beneath her
on the sofa and began unbraiding her hair, a lengthy process she had always found
calming.
And it’s our own fault. After Palpatine, nobody wanted to hand over that
much power again, so we don’t have an executive, only a chancellor with no real
authority. Mon Mothma got things done through sheer charisma, but almost every
chancellor since her has been…
Han finished the sentence for her: Useless.
I wasn't really sold on the setting of the sequel series while watching The Force Awakens and
The Last Jedi. To me it seemed that by the start of the sequel trilogy, the galaxy had pretty
much been brought back to
square one for no good reason.
This book provides that good reason, and so much more.
In the years leading up to the events of The Force Awakens, the New Republic has stagnated. Two
major political parties dominate the senate. For the Populists, heirs of the Rebel Alliance, centralized power
is forever tainted by the dark shadow of the Empire. Increased autonomy of planets combined with scaling back
the fleet has allowed cartels and crimelords to grow between the cracks. Meanwhile, the Centrists who advocate
for centralized government seem to want to bring back a whole lot more of the Empire as well.
Due to senate meddling, senator Leia Organa is forced to bring along a Centrist senator when investigating a
specific cartel. Visiting senator Ransolm Casterfo's office, the tone is already set with his collection of
Imperial militaria.
Spoilers
The moment this book fully hooked me was when after establishing Casterfo as a right-wing politician and a
collector of what, in the Star Wars universe, is basically Nazi militaria, he turns out to be a genuinely
good and likable person. He’s a character I hope to see more of in the future.
Lost Stars—Claudia Gray
Coby Cat
4.5 stars
Are you saying that Alderaan was destroyed in vain? For nothing?
Ciena held up her hands. Nash, please, I don’t mean to—
Listen to me, he said. Alderaan had to die for the Empire’s true power to be acknowledged. My
homeworld’s end was also the end of the Imperial Senate, the end of the countless petty power struggles
that had plagued Palpatine’s early reign. Only then was the Empire’s true strength revealed.
His gaze had become glazed, almost unfocused, like that of someone suffering from a fever.
As the events of the Original Trilogy play out, two star-crossed lovers (hah) from a remote planet find
themselves on opposing sides of the Galactic Civil War. This book was recommended to me as “Romeo &
Juliet in space”, making me rather hesitant to read it. I shouldn't have been. Like Gray's other book
Bloodline, this was a very fun and engaging little book.
Leia, Princess of Alderaan—Claudia Gray
Coby Cat
4
stars
Come to think of it, the Senate sessions had been quieting for a while. The boisterous beginnings she
remembered as a tiny child had become more subdued later on, the stillness falling so gradually that Leia
had missed it until now. Had the senators forgotten that they still held some authority? That they were one
of the few forces standing between Palpatine and absolute power? They couldn’t afford to become passive in
the face of resistance; that was when they needed to bear down and work harder….
Another great Star Wars novel by Claudia Gray. It's not as essential as Bloodline, or as broad
in scope as
Lost Stars, but it's still a great coming of age story.
Master & Apprentice—Claudia Gray
Coby Cat
4
stars
It matters, Qui-Gon said quietly. It matters which side we choose. Even if there will never be
more
light than darkness. Even if there can be no more joy in the galaxy than there is pain. For every action
we
undertake, for every word we speak, for every life we touch—it matters. I don’t turn toward the light
because it means someday I’ll ‘win’ some sort of cosmic game. I turn toward it because it is the
light.
I'm glad the period right before The Phantom Menace is finally being explored in the new canon,
and I'm especially glad this first foray was handled by Claudia Gray
The main focus of the book is the
bond between Qui-Gon Jinn and his padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi, which means it provides an excellent foundation for
the first of the prequels.
Queen's Shadow—E.K. Johnston
4
stars
Chancellor Palpatine’s motion to increase Republic work against slavery
had failed to make it to the floor for months after he had promised her he was working on it. When it was
finally presented, it was so toothless that Padmé could tell it wouldn’t get anything done. And then it had
not received enough votes anyway and disappeared back into the committee. Padmé kept abreast of developments
but stayed off the committee herself at Palpatine’s request.
Naboo can’t be seen as too involved, my dear, he’d reiterated when she had asked him again about
joining the committee after the failed vote. It is the price we pay for having chancellor and senator
both. I am doing my best to represent your voice because I know how much this means to you, but if it
becomes public knowledge that we are working together on such a potentially radical topic, I fear there
will only be more obstacles thrust into our path.
Coby Cat
While I would have preferred to see Claudia Gray tackle this book, mostly to compare and contrast Padmé with
the Leia written in Princess of Alderaan, Johnston still delivered a fairly competent character
study. It also neatly ties in with Princess of Alderaan. The actual plot is perhaps a tad too dull.
Resistance Reborn—Rebecca Roanhorse
Coby Cat
4
stars
And you? Poe asked, turning lastly to Finn, who had been idling in the background next to Rey.
Finn stepped forward immediately. Used to be a stormtrooper, but now I’m rebel scum, he said,
pressing a fist over his heart. Until the end.
My point, Poe said, turning back to Agoyo, is that many of us have dubious beginnings, but it is
how we end that counts.
My father was Darth Vader, Leia said, pitching her voice so that it rang out clearly through the
room. Is there anyone who wants to question my loyalty to the Resistance?
A much-needed bridge between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. The Resistance starts to regroup and
old friends from other Star Wars novels join the fight.
Rebel Rising—Beth Revis
3
stars
Coby Cat
The time spent with Saw Gerrera is pretty engaging, but afterwards the book seems to lose momentum. The
remaining plot is pretty episodic.
Heir to the Jedi—Kevin Hearne
2
stars
Coby Cat
While it was nice to see Luke experimenting with the Force, the whole book felt a bit odd and the
first-person narrative didn't help.
Other fiction books
Ready Player One—Ernest Cline
Coby Cat
3
stars
I made a big entrance when I arrived in my flying DeLorean, which I’d obtained by completing a Back
to the Future quest on the planet Zemeckis. The DeLorean came outfitted with a (nonfunctioning)
flux capacitor, but I’d made several additions to its equipment and appearance. First, I’d installed an
artificially intelligent onboard computer named KITT (purchased in an online auction) into the dashboard,
along with a matching red Knight Rider scanner just above the DeLorean’s grill. Then I’d
outfitted the car with an oscillation overthruster, a device that allowed it to travel through solid matter.
Finally, to complete my ’80s super-vehicle theme, I’d slapped a Ghostbusters logo on each of the DeLorean’s
gull-wing doors, then added personalized plates that read ECTO-88.
I’d had it only a few weeks now, but my time-traveling, Ghost Busting, Knight Riding, matter-penetrating
DeLorean had already become my avatar’s trademark.
Hoo boy, this book… there's quite a bit of eyebrow-raising stuff in here, and the plot and characterization
fall pretty flat. Take away all the nostalgiabait, and there’s honestly not much left. The writing is often
clunky, the protagonist can be rather insufferable, and some moments are just baffling to say the least.
But honestly… that’s alright. Ready Player One isn’t trying to be deep or groundbreaking—it’s just here for a
good time. If you don’t mind turning your brain off a little, it’s a light, fun read packed with pop culture
references and a breakneck pace that keeps things entertaining. It scratches that itch for some low-effort
escapism.
