High Excitement for The High Republic Stories

In February, Lucasfilm announced a forthcoming new era in Star Wars storytelling to be known as The High Republic. This new series of stories would all take place approximately 200 years BEFORE any previous canon Star Wars stories we've seen so far.

This is the era of the Jedi in their prime as peacekeepers, long before the Clone Wars and the rise of the Empire. (Learn more here)

Now only weeks away from release, here are some more details about the first two High Republic stories of most interest to younger readers. Both are scheduled for release in North America on January 5, 2021.

A Test of Courage by Justina Ireland (256 pages 8-12 yrs)

"Vernestra Rwoh is a new Jedi Knight at age sixteen, but her first real assignment feels an awful lot like babysitting. She's been charged with supervising twelve-year old aspiring inventor Avon Starros on a cruiser headed to the dedication of a wondrous new space station called Starlight Beacon.

But soon into their journey, bombs go off aboard the cruiser. While the adult Jedi try to save the ship, Vernestra, Avon, Avon's droid J-6, a Jedi Padawan, and an ambassador's son make it to an escape shuttle, but communications are out and supplies are low. They decide to land on a nearby moon, which offers shelter but not much more. And unbeknownst to them, danger lurks in the forest?"

Justina Ireland is the author of Spark of the Resistance and Lando's Luck.

The Great Jedi Rescue by Cavan Scott (24 pages 5-8 years)

"Meet the noble and wise Jedi of the High Republic!

When a disaster strikes in hyperspace, putting the people of Hetzal Prime in grave danger, only the Jedi of the High Republic can save the day!"

Cavan Scott is the author of several of the Adventures in Wild Space novels as well as the Choose Your Destiny books.

Looking forward to this new era? Have a story in mind you hope to see? Comment below! 

The High Republic: A New (Old) Era in Star Wars!

Earlier this week Lucasfilm announced a brand-new era of Star Wars books and comics that will be arriving soon: The High Republic. Set approximately 200 years BEFORE The Phantom Menace, this era has never before been properly explored. Now it will be the time-frame for numerous books and comics!

“Star Wars: The High Republic features the Jedi as we’ve always wanted to see them — as true guardians of peace and justice. This is a hopeful, optimistic time, when the Jedi and the Galactic Republic are at their height. But of course, into this glorious new era something wicked this way comes,” says Lucasfilm publishing creative director Michael Siglain. “This initiative will give readers young and old a new corner of the galaxy to explore through rich, meaningful stories. Plus, readers will learn what scares the Jedi.”

So far only the first wave of stories has been announced but already there's plenty of cause for excitement for young Star Wars fans:

Into the Dark (Disney/Lucasfilm Press)
From Claudia Gray (Lost Stars) comes the mysterious Young Adult novel of Padawan Reath Silas, stranded on what appears to be an abandoned space station...at first.

A Test of Courage (Disney/Lucasfilm Press)
From Justina Ireland (Spark of the Resistance, Lando's Luck) comes the middle grade novel about a teen Jedi Vernestra Rwoh, a young Padawan, an audacious tech-kid, and the son of an ambassador who are stranded on a jungle moon where they must work together to survive both the dangerous terrain and a hidden danger lurking in the shadows.

 
The High Republic comic series from Marvel Comics will begin written by Cavan Scott, one of our favourite current Star Wars writers! He has written several of the Adventures in Wild Space books, as well as the Choose Your Destiny titles, numerous Star Wars Adventures comics and Dooku: Jedi Lost!

For younger comic readers comes The High Republic Adventures (IDW Publishing)! These will begin with stories by Daniel José Older author of the Solo: A Star Wars Story tie-in novel Last Shot.

Details are still pretty sparse at the moment but other titles will be announced soon from this exciting new era!

Choose to Choose Your Destiny!

The latest title in the Choose Your Destiny series is A Finn & Poe Adventure, published last year as part of the Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker promotion.

For those unfamiliar with the series, these exciting, plot twisting tales flow with multiple story paths and outcomes based on the choices of the reader. The story can be tragically short or unfold as a lengthy adventure, depending on the decisions made.

At 140 pages, these page-turning chapter books are great fun for middle graders to enjoy controlling the story.

This time Poe, Finn and BB-8 evade the First Order at every turn on their mission for the Resistance. The story takes place between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.

As with the other books in the series A Finn & Poe Adventure is written by Cavan Scott (Adventures in Wild Space) and illustrated by Elsa Charretier. Scott captures the banter of these two characters and puts them into appropriately silly but dangerous dilemmas. Charretier's wildly colourful and exciting images add a fun element to the books too.

Unfolding more like a game than a regular novel, these stories are a lot of fun and challenge the reader to "solve" them by getting to the one happy ending.

Choose wisely!

Review of A Han & Chewie Adventure here

 Also available:

Read, You Must: Choose Your Destiny A Han & Chewie Adventure

Han Solo has never been known for making the wisest choices. From crossing Jabba the Hutt to lying to Kanjiklub, Han has a long history of doing things the hard way and hoping they'll work out.

In a fun new adventure novel from Disney/Lucasfilm Press, readers can make the choices FOR Han, and hopefully have better results!

Choose Your Destiny: A Han & Chewie Adventure is the first of a new series of middle-grade chapter books in the Star Wars galaxy where young readers make the decisions that will drastically affect the outcome of the story!

Written by Cavan Scott (Adventures in Wild Space, Star Wars Adventures comics), A Han & Chewie Adventure is an exciting, page-turning experience. Scott truly understands the relationship between Han Solo and his wookiee co-pilot Chewbacca, and their back-and-forth banter.

Coming Fall 2018!

On the surface this is a relatively simple story, set sometime between Solo: A Star Wars Story and A New Hope, about a smuggling job gone wrong and an escape from a group of criminals. However, every few pages the reader is presented with a choice of what happens next with each decision creating a new path. Some of the paths are very short and end badly for the heroes, so the book frequently suggests readers go back and try again and help Han "make a better decision".

There are over 20 possible outcomes to the story, but only one of them is really a desirable ending for Han & Chewie in this 140 page book.

Marvel's Star Wars #8  (1978)

With occasional wildly-coloured illustrations by Elsa Charretier, A Han & Chewie Adventure sometimes has the look and feel of the earliest Marvel Star Wars comics from the 70's, where for a few issues it was all about Han & Chewbacca out on their own.

If you've never read this type of book before, the experience itself of flipping from one section to the next - all over the book - can feel like a wild goose chase itself. Reading a book structured this way is like more like playing a game than reading a novel. 

As readers progress, getting a little further each time, it becomes clear that the way to survive is to THINK like Han Solo! Make brash, dangerous decisions, some that even seem foolish but if they are kind-hearted you'll generally do well. Safe decisions will get you nowhere and selfish decisions may get you in serious danger!

Azmorigan from Star Wars Rebels

There are many connections to the larger Star Wars galaxy here, including the shady character Azmorigan, well known to fans of Star Wars Rebels. Glimpses of Solo: A Star Wars Story are also in here, as the character Enfys Nest is mentioned along with Han & Chewbacca "borrowing" a speeder bike that in Charretier's exciting illustration looks remarkably like Nest's from the film.

In The Last Jedi, Yoda refers to the (probably boring) ancient Jedi texts by saying "page turners, they are not". THIS book is the opposite of that. It's a page-turner in every sense!

Make a great choice and go get this entertaining book!

Highly Recommended

(Publisher's Recommendation: Ages 6 & up)

Also recommended...

Smuggler's Run by Greg Rucka

Adventures in Hyperspace by Ryder Windham

Choose Your Destiny: The Choice is Yours!

Would you like to be able to decide the fate of Han Solo and Chewbacca? How about make the decisions for the crew of the Millennium Falcon?

A new book series from Lucasfilm/Disney Press not only allows young readers to do that sort of thing, but the first book also gives a new glimpse of the relationship of Han Solo and Chewbacca before they meet Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia.

Choose Your Destiny: A Han & Chewie Adventure is the first in a series of (hopefully many) new Star Wars books that flow with multiple story paths and outcomes based on the choices of the reader. 

Author Cavan Scott (from the Adventures in Wild Space series) provides the optional storylines over 122 pages, with artwork by Elsa Charretier (Star Wars Adventures) along the way.

This is the first of many new Han Solo-focused new books coming soon as excitement builds for the upcoming film Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Longtime Star Wars readers may remember previous book series’ with a similar adventure-choosing format. Some of them can still be found in used book stores and online.

Back in 2008-2010 a series of The Clone Wars books had a similar structure for self-determined readers. “Decide Your Destiny” was the series name for these five books, starting with The Way of the Jedi and ending with Dooku’s Secret Army. These adventures were connected to the events of the animated series, but of course could end up being very different based on reader’s choices!

 

Even further back, in 1998 “Choose Your Own Star Wars Adventure” was a set of three books based on A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. If you can remember a time when there were only three Star Wars movies, you may remember these books. “You control the twists, turns, and outcomes of the most exciting adventure in the galaxy,” the books promised.

Whatever Star Wars books you choose, may the Force be with you!