Review: The Jedi venture 'Into the Light' in the last YA High Republic novel

The new book by Claudia Gray delivered a satisfying end for some and built toward the climactic conclusion coming in "Trials of the Jedi."

Apr 01, 2025

The last young adult novel in The High Republic had big shoes to fill. Into the Light by Claudia Gray — out today, April 1 — had the burden of presenting a well-rounded story that followed up on key points and characters introduced way back in 2021 in Gray’s Into the Dark. It had to continue and conclude some of the big story beats introduced in the YA novels along the way, including the recent and incredible Tears of the Nameless by George Mann. It had to answer some key questions without giving too much away about the grand finale we’ll see in Trials of the Jedi by Charles Soule.

And it had to feel satisfying. The book needed to explore not just the endings of several characters’ stories, but also make us feel like we’ve grown alongside young Jedi, scientists, ragtag starship crews, and Nihil along the way.

Into the Light stuck the landing.

A little housekeeping before my full review…

Disney Books sent me a finished copy of Into the Light less than two weeks ago. It’s a relatively short novel, especially compared to previous releases, so it was easy to read quickly. As far as I can tell, not many people received review copies. And I can’t find the full publisher’s summary of the book that appears on the inside cover flap. Reath Silas is a main character in the book because he’s on the cover, but none of the descriptions say who else has a role in the story.

My review will discuss the main characters but will not spoil specifics or the ending. If you want to go in blind, save this review for later.

Now, for the review.

My first High Republic review: “Into the Dark” by Claudia Gray

Like many of Claudia Gray's Star Wars novels, Into the Light is focused on character work. That’s not to say the book doesn’t have an excellent setting and action sequences. But those plot points serve a larger purpose — satisfying and (somewhat) open-ended conclusions to key character arcs.

While this book continues key story beats established over the last four years of The High Republic — the Drengir, the blight, the Nameless, and the Nihil — it’s more concerned with how young characters like Jedi Reath Silas, Affie Hollow, Nan, and Avon Starros grapple with their experiences and (lots of) trauma.

There are many points throughout the book where each of those characters — and others like Dez Rydan, Cohmac Vitus, and Azlin Rell — reflect on their role and perspectives on the years-long conflict between the Jedi, the Republic, and the Nihil. Their relationships to each other and the “villains” of The High Republic have profound effects on their emotional growth as Jedi and living beings in the galaxy. In big and small ways, each of these characters has pivotal moments in this book that push them to acknowledge their fears and choose a way forward — for most of them, embracing the light of hope.

For me, Into the Light was excellent High Republic fan service (complimentary). Alongside the characters, we went back to the beginning and reflected on how far we’ve come in the core fight against the darkness and all the ways it manifests.

We read how much Reath has grown into a fine young Jedi Knight, capable of leading a crucial mission to save a planet’s people from the blight. In the end, we learn that Reath’s love of knowledge is just as important as learning from and helping people out in the galaxy.

Through Avon, Nan, and the Vessel crew, we learn the importance of family — chosen or not — and empathy for people forced into tough situations. We learn the power and gutwrenching heartbreak of noble sacrifices and how people use them to show how much they care without words.

Through Dez, Azlin, and Cohmac, we learn different ways of acknowledging and accepting fear — when to fight it, when to embrace it, and how not to let it consume you. We learn that fear and anger are neither good nor bad emotions, but ones that can and should be understood as markers of humanity. At the core of their respective stories is the theme of redemption.

I don’t have many gripes about this book. I do wish it were longer and spent more time with fewer characters. Into the Light felt like the last book in a series, at times rushing to tie up loose ends unfurled in previous books. I’ve never been a big fan of the Drengir, and I wasn’t thrilled to see them reappear in this book. But their story had a satisfying, full-circle conclusion that I was happy with.

Out of all the High Republic novels, Into the Light felt most like the one with prerequisite reading. I can’t imagine reading this book first without all the context established in previous stories. It’s got plenty of rehashing and recapping of previous events, but even I was a bit overwhelmed by all the details that built up to these concluding story beats.

With the way Into the Light ended, I don’t expect to see all of these characters again in Trials of the Jedi or the last comics. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see Reath, Azlin, and Avon play small roles in the final High Republic novel. That’s especially true for Reath and Azlin, whose stories in Into the Light don’t feel conclusive. Plus, everything Reath learned and experienced in Tears of the Nameless absolutely sets up for an epic climax.

I’m back and forth on giving this book a full five stars. The last third of Into the Light was electric, action-packed, and immensely satisfying. However, it did take some time to get to the meat of the novel (Drengir pun intended). For now, I’ve settled on a cool 4.75 stars.

If you’ve been following The High Republic since the beginning, you will find a lot to love in Into the Light.

Star Wars: The High Republic: Into the Light by Claudia Gray is available now from Disney Books.