SWBC: Star Wars book recommendations for spooky season
Plus: Happy birthday to me and one of my favorite Star Wars authors.
Star Wars books for spooky season
It’s finally here, the most wonderful time of the year — fall and Halloween season.
Here in Florida, the temperatures are finally beginning to reflect the change from oppressive summer to much more bearable and even pleasant autumn. It’s the perfect time to curl up with a cup of your favorite coffee or tea and crack open a good book — be it scary, slightly spooky, or just plain cozy.
Luckily for us, there are Star Wars books that fit every fall mood.
Dark and scary
Death Troopers: What happens when an Imperial prison barge with hundreds of ruthless criminals breaks down in space near a seemingly abandoned Star Destroyer? Zombie stormtroopers.
Red Harvest: More Star Wars zombies from author Joe Schreiber! This time, the story is set during the Old Republic, when it’s Jedi vs. Sith and one dark lord has grand plans for an undead future.
Darth Bane trilogy: The origin story of one of the most powerful and ruthless Sith lords in Star Wars history, the Darth Bane trilogy follows the dark side wielder from his lightless origins through his Sith training and the creation of the Rule of Two.
Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter: At the height of his dark side power, Darth Maul is sent to eliminate anyone and everyone who’s learned about his master’s plans to blockade the planet Naboo. Do yourself a favor and let Maul voice actor Sam Witwer read you the story via audiobook.
Darth Plagueis: This one’s a dark, slow burn, but it’s an excellent look at how Palpatine/Darth Sidious rose to power and where he learned the art of the seriously long con. Spoiler: it was from his Muun master Darth Plagueis.
Shadow of the Sith: How was Rey Palpatine’s granddaughter and who were her parents? The Adam Christopher-penned novel answers that question alongside a Luke and Lando adventure and a juicy dark side mystery.
Slightly spooky
Star Wars: Dark Legends: Basically Star Wars’ answer to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark — just scary enough, but great for all ages.
Into the Dark: The first High Republic young adult novel features a creepy, ancient abandoned space station that turns out to be a prison for an evil sentient plant species.
Quest for the Hidden City: A High Republic Jedi and her Padawan are sent to a dark and mysterious world supposedly haunted by monster in order to find a missing Pathfinder team.
Galaxy of Fear books: A series of a dozen books for middle-grade readers that follow two Force-sensitive kids who survived the destruction of Alderaan. While hiding from the Empire and searching for lost Jedi history, they discover an Imperial biological weapons project.
Tales comics: Tales from Vader’s Castle follows a group of rebels sneaking into Darth Vader’s fortress and trading spooky stories. Tales from the Rancor Pit shows Jabba the Hutt regaling his prisoners with a collection of scary stories.
Just plain cozy
Star Wars: Myths & Fables: Like Dark Legends, this collection is beautifully illustrated but features less spooky and more cozy Star Wars fairy tales.
From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi: Another anthology, FACPOV: ROTJ features 40 epic, thrilling, cozy, and heartwarming short stories starring the supporting characters of the original trilogy’s grand finale.
Star Wars: Ronin: This one is a Visions novel and one of the most unique stories in all of Star Wars. It’s also focused on a former Sith with trauma, but trust me when I say this world is just as cozy and complex as it is dark and violent. Dive into this book right after watching “The Duel” from season 1.
Star Wars books and comics of October
The arrival of fall also signals one of the busiest times of the year for book publishing, which means we’ve got a slew of exciting new Star Wars releases over the next couple of months.
My top picks for October:
Shadows of Starlight #1: Phase 3 of The High Republic is finally here! This new comic mini-series shows what’s happened in the year since Starlight Beacon fell. (October 4)
Crimson Climb: What happened to Qi’ra after Han had to leave her before on Corellia? How did she work her way to the top of Crimson Dawn? E.K. Johnston’s new young adult answers those questions and more. (October 10)
Tales from the Death Star: Publisher’s summary: From the destruction of Alderaan to the shadow of the Forest Moon, alien creatures, phantom star ships, deadly artifacts, and vengeful spirits all stalk the halls of the infamous space station, as writer Cavan Scott and an all-star team of artists reveal the hidden evils that lurked within charred remains of the ultimate firepower in the universe. (October 17)
New Essential Legends paperbacks, but especially I, Jedi and The Courtship of Princess Leia: I’ve been itching to read both of these EU books, and their new cover art is just plain gorgeous. (October 24)
Happy birthday to me🎂
October is finally here and it’s the best month of the year — Halloween season, (in Florida, slightly) cooler temperatures, and it’s my birthday month.
While there aren’t any new Star Wars books coming out the week of my birthday, today, October 4, sees the release of Shadows of Starlight #1 and the kickoff to Phase 3 of The High Republic. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than by diving back into one of my favorite Star Wars eras.
Over the weekend, I celebrated my birthday early by driving an hour south to hit up the closest Goodwill Bookstores. I came home with a hefty Barnes & Noble tote bag full of books, including nine Star Wars books.
Check out my thrift haul (plus two from Books-A-Million) above and let me know what I should read first!
Do you know who else has a birthday this month? The Princess and the Scoundrel author Beth Revis! Her birthday was Oct. 3, and she celebrated in the perfect way — debuting her latest novel co-written with Sara Raasch.
Night of the Witch is the medieval Germany-set historical fantasy romance of my dreams. I had the pleasure of reading an ARC of the book last month (thanks again for the copy, Beth!), and I had a lot of fun, especially considering how dark, disturbing, and heartbreaking this book can be.
Still, woven into this romantic tale of overcoming religious trauma and reclaiming the power to fight true evil is so much hope and light. There were many softer, quieter moments of pure joy and happiness, especially when it came to Fritzi and Otto’s burgeoning romance. I also loved how much care the authors took in writing a story set in medieval Germany and inspired by real witch trials.
I loved how much authentic German language, culture, and food were woven in, giving the story and its characters depth and flavor. I’ve been craving surgary krapfen and apfelstrudel for weeks.
In Beth’s recent post, she shares photos and writes about the research and trips she took to Germany to help inspire Fritzi and Otto’s story — including to Trier, Porta Nigra, and the Black Forest.
There’s just something magical about a fantasy story rooted in real history with places you can actually visit.
Happy birthday and book birthday to both Beth and Sara!
Star Wars books and comics out this week
Oct. 3
Star Wars Insider 221
Oct. 4
Bounty Hunters #39
Darth Vader #39
The High Republic: Shadows of Starlight #1
I'm doing a read/write up of Death Troopers this month! I started reading it and love the vibe.