SWBC: 'The Eye of Darkness' review
George Mann's new High Republic novel is a sprawling yet intimate tale of Jedi grief and guilt.
The Eye of Darkness: The High Republic’s Empire Strikes Back moment
The High Republic is so back.
It’s always an exciting week when a new Star Wars book drops. But for the last couple of years, it’s even more exciting when a new High Republic story arrives because of the amazing community built around these books since 2021.
The Eye of Darkness by George Mann is a particularly exciting release since it officially kicks off The High Republic Phase 3 and reintroduces beloved characters from the first phase of the initiative.
Everyone’s favorites are back, including Elzar Mann, Avar Kriss, Bell Zettifar, and Burryaga. The villainous Nihil are also back, riding the high of destroying Starlight Beacon and killing too many people in their merciless attacks.
The Jedi and the Republic are down, but they’re certainly not out. And The Eye of Darkness presents Empire Strikes Back moments — small victories with big impact, and the good guys refusing to bow to fear and terror.
The book is dark and dreary and full of guilt- and grief-ridden Jedi. But it’s also full of so much hope, which is what Star Wars is all about.
Have you picked up a copy of The Eye of Darkness yet? Let me know your thoughts as you read!
Some excerpts from my review for DorkSideoftheForce.com:
Kicking off the next phase of The High Republic storytelling, Star Wars: The Eye of Darkness, excels in its balance of sprawling action with intimate, quiet grief.
Author George Mann had a huge task to achieve – reintroduce characters and stories from Phase 1 and set up key threads to weave together The High Republic’s grand finale. Mann exceeded expectations with his novel, bringing his signature touch of horror style to a story about how the Golden Age Jedi deal with being brought to their knees.
Mann’s writing has this knack for making the reader really feel the emotions of the characters they’re reading about. The fear elicited by Marchion Ro shines beyond the page, creating a solid level of unease at his unpredictability, which is felt by both the characters and the reader.
Similarly, the whiplash of hope and despair felt by the Jedi protagonists is keenly felt throughout the book’s 416 pages. Though felt in different ways for different reasons, our main Jedi in this book cycle through traumatic flashbacks and waves of intense anger, grief, and guilt.
The Eye of Darkness is The Empire Strikes Back of The High Republic. Both inside and outside the Occlusion Zone, the Jedi and the Republic are firmly on the defensive side, still reeling from the devastation. But even small victories and revelations about the nature of the Stormwall (along with even more Phase 2 nods) feel like something to get the good guys back in the game.
Overall, The Eye of Darkness is a fresh but familiar story with all the trappings that make a good High Republic book. It makes you feel like we never left these characters but still surges ahead with a thrilling new phase of epic stories and raw, relatable characters.
How to snag Stellan Gios’s lightsaber
There is precious little High Republic merch out there. But on Friday, Disney will finally drop the first collectible High Republic lightsaber.
Dropping at the Disney Parks and shopDisney, the Stellan Gios Legacy Lightsaber Hilt comes in a collectible wooden box with a special edition copy of The High Republic Adventures Annual (2021) with the Jedi Master on the cover.
While the blade is sold separately, Stellan’s signature cross-guard blades are included with the hilt. The collectible is limited to 5,000 pieces.
The price for the lightsaber has not been confirmed, but rumors have put it in the $400 range, making it one of the most expensive lightsabers put out by Disney.
What other High Republic lightsabers would you like to see brought to life? Let me know in the comments!
Out of the Shadows — Japanese edition
There’s a new Japanese edition of a High Republic book that I — and I’m sure other book collectors — am itching to get my hands on.
Justina Ireland’s Out of the Shadows, the second young adult book in The High Republic Phase 1 — officially came out in Japan last month. Like previous Japanese editions from Gakken (see my collection below), this one features stunning manga-style art of the book’s main characters.
Unlike previous editions, this one seems to be a bit harder to come by. For my other books, I was able to snag them via Amazon Japan. Neither volume 1 nor volume 2 of the book are in stock, so if you want to buy from Amazon, you’ll have to pick a seller.
Both volumes are available through CDJapan for 1,300 Yen, which is roughly $8.64 USD.
My collection of international Star Wars books: French Thrawn Ascendancy, French manga Lost Stars volume 1, Japanese Ahsoka volumes 1 and 2, and Japanese Into the Dark volumes 1 and 2.
New to the SWBC Etsy shop
I keep making new designs for the Space Wizards Book Club Etsy shop, and I can’t seem to stop.
The latest is my “Read more Star Wars books” design — on a tote bag. Everyone loves tote bags. And this one, which comes in three sizes, is my new favorite.
The one in the photo above is the large size, and it is just that — large. I haven’t tested it, but I’m sure it could hold about a dozen books. But if you want something a little smaller, there are small and medium sizes as well.
And because of who I am as a person, I have a few more designs and products in the works. I’m hoping to soon list at least one ornament — for Life Day, of course.
Shop this tote, bookmarks, and stickers at the link below.
Star Wars books and comics out this week
Nov. 14
The Secrets of the Wookiees
Legends Epic Collection: The Empire Vol. 8
The High Republic: The Eye of Darkness
Nov. 15
Dark Droids #4
Doctor Aphra (2020) #38
The Mandalorian: Season 2 #6
Return of the Jedi: The 40th Anniversary Covers by Chris Sprouse #1
Visions: Peach Momoko #1
