Hanging like a jewel in the Outer Rim, the Beacon embodies the High Republic at the apex of its aspirations: a hub of culture and knowledge, a bright torch against the darkness of the unknown, and an extended hand of welcome to the furthest reaches of the galaxy. As survivors and refugees flee the Nihil’s attacks, the Beacon and its crew stand ready to shelter and heal.
The grateful Knights and Padawans of the Jedi Order stationed there finally have a chance to recover—from the pain of their injuries and the grief of their losses. But the storm they thought had passed still rages; they are simply caught in its eye. Marchion Ro, the true mastermind of the Nihil, is preparing his most daring attack yet—one designed to snuff out the light of the Jedi.
Well.
We were promised pain, and here it is.
THE FALLEN STAR is the last adult novel in the first phase of The High Republic, and I’m still kind of processing everything that’s happened across these books (and keeping in mind I still have Daniel José Older’s MIDNIGHT HORIZON to read…and also keeping in mind the scores of High Republic comics I haven’t read…oh, and the middle grade stuff, too. Wow!!)
While certainly building on all the layers of story from first two adult novels, THE FALLEN STAR felt tonally similar to Gray’s YA High Republic novel, INTO THE DARK. Insomuch as both books, while being Star Wars novels through & through, also lean pretty heavily into some full-on dread & space horror vibes. Which is fucking rad.
It was only a matter of time before the Nihil came for Starlight Beacon, as evidenced not just by this book’s synopsis, but by the haunting artwork for the Out Of Print exclusive edition as well.
The attack on Starlight Beacon is insidious, creepy, and evil in a way only the Nihil could think up.
But things with the Nihil are… increasingly changed. I listened to the Audible exclusive for TEMPEST RUNNER, and while I’m not doing a full review for it, it’s bananas & a lot of fun (as all the Audible exclusive Star Wars books have been!) And if you’re a Lourna Dee fan (like me), TEMPEST RUNNER is pretty essential & segues nicely into THE FALLEN STAR.
Somewhat by design, the Nihil are whittled down to the bare minimum, as we find Marchion Ro more & more isolated and yet… somehow more grandiose as well. We don’t actually spend a lot of time with Marchion Ro in THE FALLEN STAR, but his impact on the story (and all of The High Republic books) is tremendous.
A character that I ADORED from the moment I met him is Burryaga, the empath Wookiee Jedi. He stole the show for me in a lot of scenes in LIGHT OF THE JEDI, but it seemed like his role was greatly reduced in THE RISING STORM. But here, I think we get the most Burry yet, which is as it should be. Burryaga is paired up with Bell Zettifar for much of the book, and these two kind of became the heart and soul of the High Republic books for me!
There are so many characters across these books that it would be impossible to highlight them all. The nature of this story means that, some characters you take to right away, and then they are kind of shuffled into the background. It can be frustrating, but I think the group of authors writing the High Republic books are excellent collaborators, and I loved seeing each author’s take on certain characters.
Elzar Mann’s character arc, particularly over THE RISING STORM & THE FALLEN STAR, is one that really caught me off guard. In the Star Wars movies, we see different characters (Luke, Rey, and more) that are tempted by the dark side, but Elzar Mann’s brush with the dark side feels incredibly raw & honest.
I was so thrilled to see Orla Jareni back in the mix, as she was a character I found so compelling in INTO THE DARK. It was really interesting to see her interacting with some of the Jedi of this era, and to see how her status as a Wayseeker doesn’t necessarily endear her to everyone.
This book is TENSE almost from the get-go, and real talk… it gets fucking grim. There are some lighthearted moments, of course, and a lot of thrilling action scenes. But there is an overall somber quality to this book that makes it stand apart from the others.
These books have meant the world to me, and I think there’s every chance that this has been my favorite Star Wars book trilogy. I’m really looking forward to MIDNIGHT HORIZON, as well as some of the comics that I’ve decided to read!
And then of course there’s the news that the second phase in The High Republic will be set 150 years prior to LIGHT OF THE JEDI, so that’s something I’m incredibly excited about!! Gahhh…what an amazing experience this has been!! I’m so grateful to these authors for this story, and I just can’t wait to see what’s in store for us next!
Grimdark Dad 