Review: Simmering political thrills abound in 'Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear'
The first in a new trilogy, "The Mask of Fear" is one of the few Star Wars books that doesn't end on a hopeful note.
We know how this story ends. We know the evil Galactic Empire is defeated for good by the courageous Rebel Alliance. We know the Jedi are (somewhat) redeemed and reborn several times — now, supposedly led by a new Skywalker. But Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear isn’t that story. It doesn’t even star the biggest figures in the Skywalker Saga. Still, it’s one of the most political poignant, reflective, and important Star Wars stories this side of Andor.
The Mask of Fear by Alexander Freed is the first in a new trilogy of novels spanning the nearly two decades between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. The series chiefly follows Senators Mon Mothma and Bail Organa and Saw Gerrera — the leader of what will soon be the anarchic Partisans. This book is not your typical action-adventure tale with space wizards and laser swords. It’s arguably the most political Star Wars has ever got in a book, and for good reason. Star Wars has always been and always will be political sci-fi with a dash of fantasy. I knew going into this book that it would contrast strikingly with the themes in The High Republic. What I didn’t expect was to read a Star Wars book that felt a little too much like non-fiction.
Star Wars stories have always had parallels to our own political issues and conflicts — from the original trilogy’s release shortly after the Vietnam War to the prequel films exploring political corruption and government surveillance during the war on terror. In The Mask of Fear, Freed examines an era of the Star Wars political cycle we haven’t seen much of: the quick rise of the authoritarian Empire thanks to a wave of populism orchestrated and manipulated by a dark side-wielding fascist.
It’s easy to compare The Mask of Fear to Andor, especially because Mon and Saw feature prominently in the novel. If you love the Disney+ series’s darker tone, you will enjoy this book. However, The Mask of Fear isn’t about acts of rebellion. The book is set mere weeks after Revenge of the Sith and the obliteration of the Jedi Order. Through its main characters and a few new ones, we see their dawning realization of what they allowed to happen to the galaxy.
For Mon Mothma, that realization comes through learning the delicate differences between a democratic senate and an Imperial one. Her story focuses on her trying to rally political support for a bill that would quietly subdue Palpatine’s power. What she learns is that despite any action within the Senate, it’s Palpatine’s galaxy now and we’re just trying to survive in it.
For Bail Organa, his love of the Jedi and the Order put him on a desperate and dangerous mission to expose the truth of what happened to them. Despite a life of privilege and a newborn at home, Bail becomes frantic and paranoid with desperation to prove the Jedi didn’t betray Palpatine and the Republic.
Saw arguably has the less interesting storyline in The Mask of Fear. We get his and his followers’ perspectives through a new character — a former Separatist sleeper agent struggling to figure out where and with whom he fits in this new galaxy. Though I would’ve liked to get more inside Saw’s head, the chapters with Soujen illuminated the confusing chaos of the aftermath of the Clone Wars. It’s no longer Republic vs. Separatists. Those who are against the new Empire find themselves with a common enemy with their former enemy.
An intensely political book, The Mask of Fear is still very much character-driven. It’s just as much about a post-war evolving galaxy as it is about personal politics and reshaping morality. Mon, Bail, and Saw are pushed to their limits in this book, which makes for a gripping prequel to what we eventually see in the organized Rebellion and Galactic Civil War two decades later.
Mon and Bail are idealists in their own ways but don’t often get along. Mon, to a fault, still has faith and love for established political systems and tries to get things done in the best ways she knows how. She learns quickly she has to get her hands dirty — literally — and shows hints to the “irritating” senator we know her as in Andor. Bail, on the other hand, becomes blinded by his righteous quest for justice for the Jedi and risks his life to find the truth.
Saw, who I hope we get more time with in future books, is not unlike the extremist Partisan leader of the Rebellion era. He’s also blinded in a way — by a need for vengeance for his homeworld — that it’s clear he and his followers already believe the only way to combat violent authoritarianism is with violence.
At its core, Star Wars is a story about good triumphing over evil. We get those thrilling, action-adventure tales in the original trilogy as well as The Phantom Menace. There’s certainly more beneath the surface, and the franchise has explored so many facets of its sci-fi/fantasy storytelling over nearly 50 years. That’s what makes Star Wars so great — there really are stories and characters and themes for everyone.
While we know the ending, The Mask of Fear isn’t interested in giving us a neat conclusion. It’s the first in a trilogy, so that makes sense. Instead, the novel ends with a beginning — establishing threads that will stretch and break and knot until our main characters are the ones we see in Andor, Rogue One, and A New Hope.
The Mask of Fear isn’t a good vs. evil fight with clear villains and heroes. There’s an intriguing moral ambiguity and grayness among all the characters that make it easy to empathize and even side with their decisions, even the most radical ones. In the end, all the characters learn to accept the long road of resistance they have ahead of them. Despite when this story takes place — the dark, early days of an authoritarian regime — there are sparks of joy found in righteous anger and acknowledging the fight ahead.
Star Wars: Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear by Alexander Freed is out today, Feb. 25, 2025, from Random House Worlds.
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Just picked my copy up today! So excited for this one... and for Andor season 2 in a couple months. :)
I am really excited for this book. I may have to take a break in my New Jedi Order read and fit it in.