STAR WARS: OUT OF THE SHADOWS – Justina Ireland

Sylvestri Yarrow is on a streak of bad luck with no end of sight. She’s been doing her best to keep the family cargo business going after her mom’s death, but between mounting debt and increasing attacks by the Nihil on unsuspecting ships, Syl is in danger of losing all she has left of her mother. She heads to the galactic capital of Coruscant for help, but gets sidetracked when she’s drawn into a squabble between two of the Republic’s most powerful families over a patch of space on the frontier. Tangled up in familial politics is the last place Syl wants to be, but the promise of a big payoff is enough to keep her interested…

Meanwhile, Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh has been summoned to Coruscant, but with no idea of why or by whom. She and her Padawan Imri Cantaros arrive at the capital along with Jedi Master Cohmac Vitus and his Padawan, Reath Silas―and are asked to assist with the property dispute on the frontier. But why? What is so important about an empty patch of space? The answer will lead Vernestra to a new understanding of her abilities, and take Syl back to the past…and to truths that will finally come out of the shadows.

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Ok, in a familiar refrain, I am woefully behind on Star Wars books.

And yes, I know I’m not *really* behind & there’s no schedule and literally nobody cares. But…I’m just…BEHIND ON STAR WARS BOOKS!!!

As I’m writing this, these are the unread Star Wars books on my shelf:

-QUEEN’S PERIL

-FORCE COLLECTOR

-THE RISING STORM

-the first two books in the THRAWN ASCENDANCY trilogy

-the new Audible exclusive TEMPEST RUNNER

And it’s just a matter of days before RONIN is released, which may well jump to the top of the list for me because I am DELIRIOUSLY EXCITED for it!

(Also, my list only includes YA & adult novels, as I don’t typically don’t read the middle grade novels or the comics)

EDITOR’S NOTE: holy fuck, literally AS I WAS WRITING THIS a whole slew of new Star Wars books were announced. Maybe I need to schedule a Star Wars month!

ANYWAY!!!

OUT OF THE SHADOWS is the second YA novel set in the High Republic era, and I’m sort’ve kicking myself for reading it before reading THE RISING STORM, the second adult novel from the High Republic era. There were (seemingly) a lot of references to events from THE RISING STORM, and while it wasn’t confusing, I just wish I had taken a different approach to these two books.

That being said, OUT OF THE SHADOWS was a lot of fun & I think Justina Ireland did great work in introducing some new characters, and further developing a few of the characters from the first wave of books.

Syl Yarrow is a cargo hauler, carrying on her family’s business after the tragic death of her Mom at the hands of the Nihil. But Syl is down on her luck, and we soon find her without a ship & stuck on Coruscant.

Vernestra Rwoh, a Mirialan, is one of the youngest Jedi Knights in memory, having been granted the title at just fifteen. A couple years later & she has her own Padawan, an extremely empathetic boy named Imri Cantaros.

The cast of characters in this book is quite extensive, but Syl and Vernestra are really the two at the heart of the story. And they’re about to become embroiled in the world of galactic politics, and the absolute treachery of the Nihil.

I’ve talked about this in previous reviews & Bookstagram posts, but the lack of queer representation in the Star Wars films is not ok. Meanwhile, authors like Chuck Wendig, Daniel José Older, Justina Ireland, and more are doing some amazing work making Star Wars a more inclusive space, at least on the page. So, it’s pretty fucking rad to see a queer woman of color on the front of a Star Wars novel!

I guess I should say, that’s Syl on the standard cover, anyway…they keep getting me with these special edition covers and I am fucking HELPLESS to resist!

This one was great! It deals with some heavy themes regarding relationships with parents, there are some cool Easter eggs to tie in to the movies & other books, and it’s just overall a fun Star Wars adventure! I really love what they are doing with The High Republic stories, bringing in a select group of authors and having them move around between the comics, middle grade, YA, & adult books. This is such an amazing time to be reading Star Wars!!

May the Force be with you!!