Light of the Jedi by Charles SouleMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
"Her lighsaber, ugly as it was, served as a perfect reflection of the great truth of the Force: no matter what a person was on the outside... inside, everyone was made of light."
One of the things that kept me sane this pandemic was the discovery of the awesome online game, SWTOR (Star Wars: The Old Republic). My current character is a Jedi Consular (think more Obi Wan than Luke Skywalker) and she happens to be my favorite of my 8 characters (I maaaaaaaay have spent most of my weekends in this happy online game).
So it was so nice to pick up this GORGEOUS book (JUST LOOK AT THAT COVER!) and revel in the joy of a time when there were thousands of Jedi in the galaxy, and the Republic reigned Supreme.
(Or so they thought.)
For an underestimated enemy harnesses greater power than formerly thought, and they are using it to disintegrate starships and send bits and pieces hurtling through the galaxy, disobeying Star Wars physics rules regarding hyperspace... with the potential to destroy several worlds unless the Jedi stop them!
"We must always strive for peace, but also justice. Peace without justice is flawed, hollow at its core. It is the peace provided by tyranny."
The book is far from perfect. Others have pointed out the weaknesses: obviously there was a plot that was cooked up by several people, not one single author. There were 20+ new characters, and so the story telling was awkward at best: short chapters devoted to a single character who may or may not live to see another chapter, added to the complexity that is narrating a single battle from several points of view.
But Charles Soule did his best with the parameters he had. And occasionally he wrote beautiful lines! And I will confess to tearing up a bit at the ending, when hundreds of lightsabers were raised in salute, "pushing back the darkness! The light of the Jedi."
It doesn't take a genius to figure out which character is Trump-like with his exhortations of his mad marauders (The Nihil) to "ride out the storm" in pursuit of individual freedom, and which Chancellor is Biden with speeches on valuing the humanity of everyone in the Republic, regardless of race.
"It's the same question I ask myself whenever I do anything at all... does the action I'm about to take bring more light to the galaxy?"
Book 2 will be released later this year, by a different author. I'm actually looking forward to seeing where this budding romance between 2 Jedi (*gasp the scandal!!!!*), Avar Kriss and Elzar Mann, will go!
"We are all the Republic!"
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