Review: Hope, but at what cost in 'Tears of the Nameless'
Grief, horror, and history are the core themes of the newest young adult novel in The High Republic Phase 3.
While reading Tears of the Nameless, I often forgot I was reading a young adult novel. The new High Republic novel by George Mann was that intense, thrilling, and so full of horror.
Tears of the Nameless is the newest book set in the third and final phase of The High Republic. It’s a lengthy (over 500 pages) and information-dense book that signals a major turning point for the Jedi and Republic’s yearslong conflict with the Nihil and their Nameless weapons. Like all Star Wars stories, there is hope amid devastation — but at what cost?
The book showcases some of Mann’s finest Star Wars work yet and builds on the success of his The Eye of Darkness, which came out last year. At this point in The High Republic timeline, the Jedi have figured out how to puncture the Stormwall and gain somewhat of an advantage against the Nihil. But this fight has never been just between two groups. Over several years, the Jedi have struggled and lost so much trying to keep the Republic safe and to understand why the Nihil and their leader Marchion Ro do what they do.
The Eye of Darkness saw the Jedi finally infiltrate Nihil space through the Stormwall. The young adult novel Defy the Storm saw those efforts expanded through secret missions with Jedi Vernestra Rwoh and teen scientist Avon Sunvale. The latest adult novel, Temptation of the Force, was all about the Jedi (mainly Avar Kriss and Elzar Mann) embracing their love and combining Forces (literally) to fend off the overwhelming terror of the Nameless.
In Tears of the Nameless, a large cast of beloved characters all have one goal — uncovering the origins of the Nameless and how to stop them.
The book chiefly follows Reath Silas, a young Jedi Knight we haven’t seen much of since the gutwrenching ending of Midnight Horizon. Over the last year, Reath has burdened himself with being the lead investigator into the origins of the Nameless — their biology, their Force-eating effects on the Jedi, and what, if at all, the Jedi can do to defend themselves against their fear-induced hallucinations. Reath has been working himself to the point of bleak exhaustion coupled with the grief and turmoil of his Master Cohmac Vitas abruptly leaving him and the Jedi Order.
In the absence of his former master, Reath seeks insight into the Nameless from Azlin Rell — a disgraced former Jedi fueled by the dark side in a centuries-long quest to find answers about the Nameless and defeat the creatures. In Azlin, Reath sees someone not to look up to or find clear answers, but someone who understands his fear and loneliness.
Besides Reath, Jedi Padawan Amadeo Azzazzo is the core to the story alongside his Master Mirro Lox. These two were introduced in Tales of Light and Life, and Amadeo’s field experience turns out to be key to understanding the connections between the plague-like Blight and the Nameless.
Through Reath and Amadeo’s perspectives, we get the core of the novel — grief, trauma, fear, and exhaustion. These two young men are put through the wringer in Tears of the Nameless. They accomplish so much and more than prove themselves in the face of abject horror and edge-of-death experiences. Their findings will absolutely move the needle in the fight against the Nameless. But at what cost to their health and wellbeing?
Leaning a bit into adult Star Wars novel style, Tears of the Nameless bounces between POVs of Reath, Amadeo, the Vessel crew, Vernestra Rwoh, flashbacks with Cohmac Vitus, and new villain character Sicarus. In my review copy of the book, I wrote “like Icarus?” in the margins. Without spoilers, I can confirm that yes, just like Icarus — the boy of Greek myth who flew too close to the sun.
Through Sicarus, we get a little glimpse into the minds of the Children of the Storm — the twisted experiments of Baron Boolan, the Nihil’s Minister of Advancement. The character, whose origins are a nod to Phase 2’s Path of the Open Hand and Brotherhood of the Ninth Door, has become somewhat of a mutant Nameless after getting blood transfusions from the creatures. Now a Jedi hunter, Sicarus finds glee in the horrific husking of Jedi.
Through Vernestra, we begin to see the toll the events of the last year have taken on the young Jedi Knight. It’s easy to forget how young the Mirialin is and how much she has endured — the loss of her master Stellan Gios, the devastation of the Blight, missing her former Padawan Imri Cantaros, and the intense fight with Marchion Ro in Temptation of the Force. It’s through Vernestra and Reath that we see the effects of all of this on some of the youngest Jedi with the greatest burdens to bear.
While Reath channels that pressure into feverishly seeking knowledge, Vernestra becomes more skeptical and quick to doubt and anger. She doesn’t trust Azlin Rell and frequently makes her doubts and worries about his influence on Reath known. She even accuses the fallen Jedi of conspiring with the Nihil to bring harm to Reath and others on their tide-turning mission into Wild Space.
The POV chapters with the Vessel crew and Cohmac Vitus are the weakest and seemingly unnecessary at first. It’s great to see Affie, Leox, and Geode again, but for most of the book they mainly provide support and transportation. In the end, they are key components to seeing the Jedi and Republic Defense Coalition forces make it safely back to Coruscant. Cohmac’s chapters — before he reunites with Reath — are all about him working through his trauma and disillusionment with his place in the Jedi. No matter how we feel about Cohmac’s departure, it’s clear he needed the time away to become better for himself and for Reath.
Tears of the Nameless builds upon the overarching High Republic question of “what scares the Jedi?” by adding “what can incapacitate the Jedi?” Jedi being Jedi, it’s difficult for them to prioritize their health and safety over that of others in danger. The Jedi are the front-line first responders of the galaxy, but we’ve seen many of them perish under the life-sucking tentacles of the Nameless because of their selflessness.
This book forces the Jedi to face their fears and prioritize their safety — not for selfish reasons but because their knowledge is key to helping the entire galaxy.
Perhaps more so than any other young adult High Republic book, Tears of the Nameless is an epic and essential story to this era of Star Wars. It’s chock full of history and lore-filled answers to some of The High Republic’s biggest questions. And it clearly lays out what the Jedi are going to do next as The High Republic heads to its conclusion next year.
By probing the Nameless’s heartbreaking history and exploring a potential path to peace, Tears of the Nameless cements itself as one of the most intense High Republic stories out there. Through explorations of grief, horror, and history, the novel is a haunting and exceptional piece of Star Wars storytelling.
Star Wars: The High Republic: Tears of the Nameless is available now from Disney Books.