Light of The Jedi by Charles Soule has been enjoying an extended run at the top of the New York Times bestseller list. Clearly, it is a book that has made an impression on fans across the globe. Having just finished the book myself, I have found that I have been swept up in The High Republic hype, reading absolutely everything I can lay my hands on. So, what makes this series so different? Something that seems to have united fans, rather than divided them?
I think it could be the sequel trilogy. Now, let me start by saying that this is not a judgement on these films, nor am I saying it is good or bad. What I am saying is that since Disney took the reins, the sequel trilogy has been a barrier for Star Wars literature. Having no overall plan, having no advanced notice to what was going to happen, has made authors struggle to know how far they can go or whether something they wanted to do would be ultimately contradicted by the films. This is not to say there haven’t been good books, even great books to emerge (heck, finding the godmother of Star Wars, Claudia Gray, is just about one of the greatest modern achievements of Star Wars literature) because there have been. But for the vast majority of authors, when reading their books, it has felt like they have been treading on eggshells.
The High Republic removes this problem because of the time in which it’s set, some 200 years before The Phantom Menace. Now, one could argue that this could have been done while the films were being made yet waiting to see what may or may not have been mentioned in the movies was, of course, important. For me, The High Republic deserves not to live in the shadow of the films, and it’s more than good enough to stand by itself. Having it set so far back in the Star Wars timeline from anything that we really know, allows authors to tell the story that they want to tell, to not have to hold to some endpoint that inevitably determines the fate of the characters.
I remember growing up and having the release of Shadows of the Empire. The book, with its own soundtrack; the comic series, the figures and most of all – the game. Playing on that demo of the snowspeeder on Hoth, racing around that AT-AT, trying for the love of the Force to not crash. It was thrilling to have a huge story that you could really get into over a variety of mediums. Then, years later, fans were given The New Jedi Order, a war of epic proportions, bringing a vast array of authors to tell us stories. A single war that spanned five years. The effect was incredible. No-one knew what would happen, who would survive, the consequences for the galaxy. And to have it so co-ordinated, for it to flow so seamlessly. Although we are only at the start of this adventure, between the book and the two-comic series, The High Republic seems to have been incredibly well thought out by the authors involved; every book and every comic is another piece of this ever-expanding story. This is the Star Wars that most of us want.
They say timing is everything and this couldn’t be truer for The High Republic. There have been no film releases. The Mandalorian is unfortunately not due until the end of the year. For a lot of us, we are closed in, isolated from the rest of the world as we deal with a world crisis, something that we keep hoping will get sorted and lifted soon… or have I just described part of the plot for Light of The Jedi? Because (and I’m positive this is a happy coincidence) the ‘Great Disaster’ that sparks this whole era, has so many similarities to the life that we currently find ourselves in. There is a relatability to what is happening to the in- universe characters, to the regular citizens of the Republic. We are all in need of a little hope, a little light in this time, so a storyline that mirrors what we are going through is very much appreciated (and wanted).
The High Republic learns from the very best of Star Wars and coupled with its impeccable timing, it is the series that we are all in need of as fans. Rather than being divisive, this series has already started to bring fans around the globe together in its well planned, well written, well-illustrated vision of the golden height of the Galactic Republic. With everything that is happening in the world and in our own fandom, are Charles Soule, Cavan Scott, Claudia Gray, Justine Ireland and Daniel José Older our own versions of Chancellor Lina Soh? Are they not uniting us all in a way that is very much needed for all fans? If you have been ignoring the hype, if you believe that this series is just another thing being blown way out of proportion, you might need to have a rethink. The High Republic shows us just how great Star Wars can be when its creative thinkers have the freedom to play. There is nothing more for me to say but to say the phrase, one that I do believe will rival ‘May the Force be with You’, and end with: ‘We are the Republic!’
