Review: 'Beware the Nameless' is a fun and frightful High Republic tale
The new middle-grade novel from Zoraida Córdova is a "Goonies"-esque adventure with lots of Phase 2 nods.
One of the things Star Wars middle-grade books excel at is presenting a fun side story that offers readers different perspectives of galactic events and issues. Better yet, these novels showcase the perspectives of children — the most underrated and overlooked voices that often have the most profound things to say. The High Republic middle-grade stories are the best of the new canon bunch. The newest book, Beware the Nameless, deftly showcases these themes along with teamwork, facing your fears, and being true to yourself.
Beware the Nameless — from author Zoraida Córdova (A Crash of Fate, Convergence) — was released on Tuesday from Disney Books. It’s a direct sequel to Escape from Valo and features a large cast of returning favorites and new characters to fall in love with.
One of those new characters is the star of Beware the Nameless — a warm-hearted Hutt named Churo. The vegetarian, bug- and plant-loving tween challenges his fellow younglings’ assumptions about Hutts — stereotypically mean and grotesque criminals who care for nothing and no one besides the glory of their clans. Churo is a big softie (literally) with anxiety who worries about trying to please his family and doing the right thing to help his new friends. We spend a lot of time in Churo’s POV and Beware the Nameless is all the better for making the Hutt a core character.
The other standout star is Zenny Greylark — yes, of THOSE Greylarks from Phase 2 of The High Republic. Through Zenny’s perspective, we meet her mother, a senator, and are fed a Star Destroyer-load of nods and Easter eggs to Phase 2. Her thoughts about her family tree never detail what happened to Phase 2’s Axel Greylark and a certain Jedi Knight, but Beware the Nameless is still a feast for enjoyers of Convergence and Cataclysm.
Surprisingly, the Jedi characters mostly take a back seat in Beware the Nameless. Younglings Kildo and Tep Tep return to the gang after their escapades in Escape from Valo, and new Jedi Jamil joins for the harrowing adventure of a lifetime. With these three, Zenny and Churo, plus a couple of other older Jedi and Republic Defense Coalition members, the middle-grade novel’s cast is overloaded with characters to keep track of. And that’s where Beware the Nameless begins to falter.
Another thing middle-grade (and young adult) Star Wars novels usually do well is focus on one or two characters instead of a large, plot-pushing cast like the adult books. With one or two perspectives, the books for younger audiences provide a more intimate character study within the context of the larger plot and galaxy. With Beware the Nameless, I was surprised to see how many characters there were, and that the “main” figures were not Jedi.
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved Zenny and Churo. They are the key perspectives and I wouldn’t have this story told any other way. And I loved the Goonies vibes the book gave off. But even in a short, easy-to-read middle-grade novel, there were too many characters to keep track of.
Despite that, Beware the Nameless deftly explored the effects of the Nameless creatures on the youngest Jedi. Younglings like Kildo, Jamil, and Tep Tep are still learning to meditate and center themselves in the Force. They’re still learning how to best protect light and life. Throw in Force-eating monsters, and these Jedi easily falter to the Nameless’ hallucinogenic horror. The scenes with the Nameless in this kids’ book are surprisingly scary and intense.
A book like Beware the Nameless is the perfect place to explore current High Republic themes like the Jedi needing protection. All Jedi, including the younglings, are taught to be first responders to the needs of the larger galaxy. They are the ones to leap into the line of blaster fire or take on rampaging beasts to protect people. But the Nameless render Jedi incapacitated and unable to defend themselves let alone others.
Jedi like Kildo, Jamil, and Tep Tep still try their best to defend the ragtag group with some intense but incredible results. Both Kildo and Jamil build upon their self-confidence and self-awareness of all the things they still need to learn. Even Tep Tep — the smallest and most precious — stands up to the Nameless and tries to reach them like other creatures. They will all make fine Jedi Knights someday.
Without spoiling anything, Beware the Nameless also seamlessly sets up the next High Republic novel, Tears of the Nameless. This final phase of The High Republic is all about ending the Nihil tyranny and destruction once and for all. But the Jedi have finally learned that to fight the Nihil’s Nameless weapon, you must understand it and face your ultimate fears.
Star Wars: The High Republic: Beware the Nameless by Zoraida Córdova is available now wherever you get books.
Thank you to Disney Books for sending advance review copies of Beware the Nameless and Tears of the Nameless! The next High Republic book, Tears of the Nameless, arrives on Sept. 24.