SWBC: 'Tales of Light and Life' review
SWBC: 'Tales of Light and Life' review
Plus: A new Star Wars book giveaway and my second article for Star Wars Insider!
Tales of Light and Life | Review
Another new Star Wars book day!
This time, it’s for Tales of Light and Life, an anthology of High Republic short stories set during each phase of the initiative. In the standard edition, there are nine stories by nine different Luminous authors.
And in the exclusive Barnes & Noble edition, there’s a tenth story by Doctor Aphra writer Alyssa Wong.
Here’s a breakdown of each story:
“The Queen’s Bloom” — An Axel Greylark prequel.
“A Closed Fist Has No Claws” — A Marda Ro sequel.
“Shield of the Jedi” — Rooper Nitani and Silandra Sho on Batuu.
“The Lonely Traveller Is Home” — Ram Jomaram and other Jedi Padawans on Starlight Beacon.
“After the Fall” — The Vessel crew helping the Jedi and Republic after the fall of Starlight Beacon.
“The Force Provides” — Vernestra Rwoh searching for purpose after her Padawan goes missing.
“All Jedi Walk Their Own Path” — Bell Zettifar searching for his friend, Burryaga, on Eiram.
“Light in the Darkness” — What happens when the light of the Jedi and Starlight Beacon go out in the Outer Rim.
“The Call of Coruscant” — New characters tease what’s to come in Phase 3.
Alyssa Wong’s story in the B&N edition — Alys “Crash” Ongwa after the events of Midnight Horizon.
Some snippets from my review on Dork Side of the Force:
The collection is a must-read for those who’ve been keeping up with The High Republic. However, unlike other High Republic reads, Tales of Light and Life comes with prerequisites, as the book contains massive spoilers for Phases 1 and 2.
“My favorite story of the anthology, “A Closed Fist Has No Claws” by Tessa Gratton, followed Marda Ro after the events of Path of Vengeance.
It’s a dark and intense thriller that further connects the former Path of the Open Hand Force cult to its eventual evolution into the ruthless Nihil marauders. Out of all the stories in Tales of Light and Life, this is the one I never wanted to end.
Marda is one of my favorite characters in The High Republic and possibly all of Star Wars. There’s just something about women in their villain eras, and Marda’s post-Phase 2 story shows her taking a seriously dark turn.”
“Overall, Tales of Light and Life is a fun and fast-paced addition to The High Republic’s repertoire. Some stories are short and sweet, while others pack a gut punch with explorations of Jedi grief and guilt.
For High Republic completionists, it’s an essential read. But it’s also a delectable appetizer for the next phase of High Republic storytelling.”
The High Republic Phase 3 preview
We’re about a month away from the arrival of the first stories in The High Republic Phase 3. On Oct. 4, Shadows of Starlight #1 kicks off a four-issue mini-series from Marvel.
Last week, AIPT Comics exclusively revealed covers and a few inside pages from Shadows of Starlight #1 as well as its teaser text.
WHO LIVED? WHO DIED? ANSWERS TO THE GREATEST CATASTROPHE OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE JEDI!
Little has been revealed about the year following the fall of STARLIGHT BEACON and the ultimate triumph of THE NIHIL…until now! THE JEDI COUNCIL, reeling from its losses, has recalled its JEDI KNIGHTS from across the galaxy and instituted the emergency measures. MASTER YODA has a plan to save the Order and the galaxy, but he must touch the dark side to achieve it…and the consequences will be grave indeed.
The inside spreads are breathtaking — the fiery devastation of Starlight Beacon’s destruction and plummet into the seas of Eiram, the somber Jedi recall to Coruscant, and the new emergency protocols shown via holo presentation inside the Republic Senate chamber.
Those emergency protocols — written in Aurebesh — have since been translated:
Acceleration of youngling combat instruction
Outposts staffed by droids
Independent research paused
Early Padawan trials
Resource management restrictions
Offensive combat as required
No Jedi travels alone
Those sound eerily familiar. The Jedi will eventually implement similar protocols in a couple of hundred years at the outbreak of the Clone Wars.
With Phase 3, it’s clear the light of the Jedi is beginning to dim. And we are in for a bevy of thrilling and heartbreaking stories over the next couple of years.
Shadows of Starlight #1 is written by Charles Soule with art by Ibraim Roberson. The first issue arrives on Oct. 4 (my birthday!)
SWBC giveaway
Thanks to the lovely folks at Disney Books Publishing, I have an extra copy of The High Republic: Tales of Light and Life. So, it’s time for another giveaway!
What you’ll get:
A new hardcover copy of The High Republic: Tales of Light and Life
A Space Wizards Book Club bookmark and your choice of another bookmark or sticker from my Etsy shop (new inventory is on the way!)
How to enter:
Subscribe to the Space Wizards Book Club
Head to this post and comment with your answer to the prompt
US only (sorry, shipping is killer right now)
Star Wars books and comics arriving this month
It’s finally fall — well, maybe not officially. And certainly not where I live in Florida, where highs are still in the 90s. But the fall and (eventually) winter months are the best times of the year for many reasons, including for new books and comics.
My top picks for this month include:
The High Republic: Tales of Light and Life — an anthology of nine short stories from the Luminous authors (Sept. 5)
The first volume in a manga adaptation of The Mandalorian (Sept. 12)
The first issue of the Obi-Wan Kenobi comic series (Sept. 13)
A new issue of Hyperspace Stories featuring Quinlan Vos during the Clone Wars (Sept. 27)
There are a lot of new things to read this month. Plus, this is the perfect time to work on catching up with The High Republic before Phase 3 arrives.
What books or comics are you most excited about this month? Let me know in the comments!
Star Wars Insider 220
It’s been a few weeks since this came out, but I’m still so excited to share my latest article for Star Wars Insider.
In issue 220, I share a magical interview with Lydia Kang — author of Cataclysm and “Right Hand Man” from From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back.
In the interview, Lydia shares her lifelong love of Star Wars, how she infuses her medical expertise into her writing, and what personal touches she adds to her stories. Fun fact: She named a planet and its people in Cataclysm after her beloved dog.
Star Wars Insider #220 is available now from Titan Comics.