A good star wars prequel book. I liked the characters but wish there had been more details about most aspects

Claudia Gray has done it again. "Into the Dark" masterfully builds upon Light of the Jedi's ambitious scope and mixes it with A Test of Courage's character focus to create something wholly new and proves young adult is one of the strongest genres in Star Wars.

Reath Silas is one of the most compelling characters in the High Republic era because he goes against the grain and seeks the thrill of knowledge versus the thrill of adventure. Despite this, he readily rises to the occasion when he needs to and will surprise you with steadfast heroics. "Into the Dark" emphasizes that there is a place for individuality within the Order and that the Jedi are not a monolith. This is also seen with Orla Jarenia, who is a Wayseeker that doesn't see eye-to-eye with the Council.

Claudia builds on her last published work, Master & Apprentice, by once again challenging the dictates of the Jedi Order and having the reader question if the Jedi are right in actively dividing the Force between light and dark, which Master Cohmac Vitus refers to as "an act of violence." Into the Dark sets up an essential moral dilemma during the "golden age" of the Jedi that I expect will continue to be at the forefront of this storytelling initiative. Even though the Jedi are looked to as guardians of peace and justice, are they only in this fight for their own vindication?

Into the Dark drastically expands the conversation of the High Republic and continues to craft this new galaxy. We're just lucky enough that Claudia Gray gets to leave her mark.

For our podcast's full spoiler review on "Into the Dark," visit here: https://www.friendsoftheforcepod.com/episodes/episode/2d9c7081/into-the-dark-the-high-republic-spoiler-discussion

Honestly in love with this book.

Claudia comes out of the gate with an extremely strong addition to LFL's The High Republic starting line, despite coming in almost an entire month after the first two books in the series. Thankfully, Claudia's book stands out among the rest. I gave it a perfect five star review, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have some faults - it has a few, but my enjoyment of the book far overrode the flaws.

The character work is amazing, and I loved how many of the characters were uniquely suited to this era. Reath Silas is probably the Jedi I've identified with the most out of the franchise, and I really felt myself rooting for him and feeling his objections to going to the frontier. Affie, Cohmac, and Orla were all fantastic characters as well, and I felt a connection with all of them. It's been a while since I've felt like I could connect to everyone within a series, but thankfully, this book can help with that.

I only had a few things to pick away at. The Drengir, while imposing, and introducing an extremely curious plot point between their connection with both the Sith and the Amaxines, were a bit bland here. I am curious to see if the Marvel series makes them a bit more imposing and eldirtch-y. Speaking Basic and being hard to kill weren't terribly unique. The pacing was a bit off as well at times, but I didn't have a huge problem there.

It turns out that I really have no idea how to write about a book I loved as much as this one. Claudia Gray remains one of the most excellent writers Star Wars has in their arsenal. Despite my not knowing how to talk about this book, I'm gonna give it a shot!

INTO THE DARK is sci-fi meets horror meets dry comedy. We follow Jedi Padawan Reath Silas, a young man who prefers the library to adventure, and studying to fighting. Assigned to a mission on the Starlight Beacon in the Outer Rim, Reath takes his first step into a larger world....and finds that it's more than he bargained for. He's joined by an intriguing cast of characters, including a Jedi Folklorist, a Jedi on her own path, a rock (no, I'm not joking), and a couple of cool pilots. Their adventure takes them to places they'd never expect, and has them facing far greater enemies than the galaxy has seen in a long time.

This story is an absolute delight. It moves at a steady pace, and I found myself never wanting to put the book down. The characters, especially Reath Silas, Chomac Vitus (the folklorist), and Geode (the rock), are standouts, but I have no doubts that everyone will find a character they love. There are moments in this book when I just couldn't believe I was getting *this* in Star Wars. "This" was the idea of the Wayseeker, words like 'folklorist' and 'historiography' showing up, and new ways of looking at the Jedi's flaws. There were also so many laugh-out-loud moments in this book, specifically regarding Geode. The dry sense of humor fit perfectly into the narrative, and it was a delight every time I came across it on the page. Even if I had read a passage 10 times, I would still laugh.

With regards to the High Republic initiative as a whole, this story introduces us to new villains, parts of the galaxy, and greater threats than we have seen thus far (if that can be believed!), all the while maintaining its ability to be an independent story. It doesn't feel like you need LIGHT OF THE JEDI or A TEST OF COURAGE as prerequisites to understand the sandbox we're playing in. That being said, there are moments that are enhanced if you have read those stories and have a general understanding of the Nihil already.

This is a book I'd highly recommend all Star Wars fans, but I'd also love to highlight this recommendation for people who are skeptical of the Jedi's ways, fans who were history majors in college and loved the campus library more than anything, fans of space horror like ALIEN and DEAD SPACE, and fans of rocks (Geode is just too good)! I am blessed to live in a world where Claudia Gray is writing Star Wars, because she never misses. I absolutely cannot wait to see what comes next, both from Gray, and from The High Republic!

While the plot sometimes wanders, interrupting its own momentum in places, the characters shine as vibrant and loveable drivers of the story with compelling motivations and satisfying character arcs. At times, the text can switch into info dumps and telling statements that remind us we're reading a book, but scenes are largely engaging and immersive. This was an enjoyable read and a fun contribution to The High Republic campaign. Also, Geode is the best.

Claudia Gray is almost certainly the best Star Wars novelist working today, and by that high standard Into the Dark, while a great deal of fun, is not her best. Some of its issues relate to its position at the leading edge of the High Republic initiative and are not necessarily her fault--most notably, the Drengir are somewhat underwhelming in their first substantive appearance, and seem less like unknowable eldritch horrors and more like a standard group of alien antagonists who happen to be unusually hard to kill. There also appear to be a number of small inconsistencies between this and the first High Republic book, Light of the Jedi, which aren't huge hindrances to the book itself but are surprising given the degree of collaboration between THR's authors and the six-month delay both books endured due to the pandemic. One is left to assume the books were already printed before the delay and thus no further editing was possible for their first editions.

As far as Into the Dark itself is concerned, the biggest problem I had was the timeline--there are multiple points in the story where several days seem to pass uneventfully either during travel or on board the station, and it creates the impression that the story was stretched out to cover more time than it organically required in order to fill the several-week time span from the Hyperspace Disaster to Jora's death to, finally, the ceremony aboard Starlight Beacon. While I appreciate the consistency there--or at least the care taken not to be overtly inconsistent--I can't help but wonder if it would have helped the pacing and tension of the story if it had been compressed into a smaller amount of time, maybe even without the extended visit to Coruscant.

With all that said, Gray is an excellent storyteller, and I nevertheless enjoyed the book plenty. Even her most flawed writing crackles with personality, and her knack for creating immediately likable and interesting new characters is more than enough to overcome any plot issues. I'm hard pressed to think of anyone from this book I wouldn't be excited to see again--we already know Reath Silas will be back but I have high hopes for the crew of the Vessel as well, and I'd be remiss not to highlight Geode in particular, one of the most clever and entertaining new Star Wars characters in a long time.

My coverage at Eleven-ThirtyEight is forthcoming, but I intend to look at the first three High Republic books as a whole and discuss the themes and undercurrents of this new era and what might be developing below the surface as the story moves forward.

I had a tough time putting this book down. This book had a pretty good beginning, and only got better as it moved along. The Jedi in it come from different backgrounds and differed in many ways. When they all sensed a great evil on a mysterious old space station, they made a big decision. Yet it turns out it came with some pretty dire consequences. As this book comes to a close they return to this strange place with the hopes of making things right there once and for all. Fans of Star Wars will want to check this book out.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book. I am such a big fan of Star Wars and Claudia Gray's renditions of the storylines and characters within this series. Gray never seems to miss! I was really stoked to see an addition to the High Republic materials.

I don't want to provide any specifics in this review so as not to provide spoilers, but I will say that I was very pleased with the mix of new and old concepts. What I mean by that is that I think Gray does a great job of introducing new characters, worlds, storylines, plot devices, etc. while also retaining canon or similar.

Importantly, I think that this book is good for new and old star wars fans alike. I often get kind of picky about the SW or spin-off / addition media I like, but Gray, as stated, never really fails in this regard. I also think that its appropriate for young/adult readers.

Thank you again so much for the chance. I hope to read more in the future from this author.

This is an adventure set in the times of the High Republic, centuries before the Skywalker Saga. A Jedi Master and Padawan set out on a journey to do the work of the Jedi to protect people throughout the galaxy. When they are sent to an assignment on an abandoned space station they have no idea the dangers they would face. This is an exciting space adventure of a book that his very atmospheric at times, and you can feel the stillness of space around the vessel, the danger that space around them can pose. We learn about life in the Jedi Temple and the dedication that is required of the Jedi. The Star Wars universe is large and the Jedi is an ancient order there is a lot of history to explore and this felt like a good glimpse into that world.

Star Wars The High Republic: Into the Dark was a lot fun! The pacing was a little slow in the beginning but found the story quickly picked up pace and became the exciting ride that I know Star Wars stories to be! This is the book I have been searching for as a massive Star Wars Fan!

Out of all the books written by Claudia Gray that I have read, this one was the hardest to follow. I had to start it over many times-- I was getting lost with all the time jumping and different points of view. I did enjoy the story and the last three chapters tied the whole story together. It was a good book, just difficult to follow for me.

The Review

What a fantastic new canon to explore within the greater Star Wars universe. As a longtime fan of the franchise, I have devoured anything related to the series, and getting to explore an entirely new era set before the events of the main films was a real treat.

The author’s true power shines best through the amazing character development that occurs here. From new heroes like Reath to dangerous threats like the plant-creatures known as the Drengir and the powerful criminal organization looking to halt the Republic’s expansion into the Outer Rim, the Nihil, the story takes readers into some amazing corners of the galaxy while also establishing connected and engaging new characters.

The twists and turns this story takes are fantastic to see unfold. The already established Nihil is unique to me, as their character development is reminiscent of both real-life pirates and Vikings, who utilize violence and ruthless battle while also clinging to ideals of freedom through taking whatever they like. Yet their backstory is complex and shows promise as the High Republic continues to grow. The introduction of new aspects of the Force and Jedi Order, from the Wayseeker who operates outside of the Jedi Council’s purview to the Drengir and the connection to the Force itself, will surprise fans and make for a new and powerful foe.

The Verdict

A masterful, entertaining, and action-packed blockbuster of a read, author Claudia Gray’s “Star Wars: The High Republic: Into the Dark” is a must-read for all Star Wars fans. This new initiative into the High Republic excels in this novel, and the author’s brilliant dive into the Star Wars mythos highlights the endless possibilities this galactic series has for storytellers around the world. I cannot wait to read more about this era of the Star Wars universe, and hope everyone will grab their copy of this fantastic read today!

Thank you Netgalley and Disney/Lucasfilm press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I admit, Into the Dark was a decent story that fits well into the Star Wars universe. Though there were a few gripes I had about it. Thankfully, my own gripes didn't deter most of my enjoyment for reading more of the characters given.

The Characters; Following a young Padawan, a few Master Jedi, and a crew involved in well... illicit activites, this book had the set up for a good fun adventure. And it started that way for sure. Character wise, each one felt different from their counterparts, but unfortunately I really quickly started to feel overwhelmed by how large the cast there were. If we had removed maybe one or two of the cast, it would have been easier to keep track.

The plot; The plot was intriguing as well, though truth be told I can't even remember the reason of their original mission. Though I suppose when their mission is diverted thanks to crisis, or multiple of. From about a third of the book in, we divert to multiple plots. One in a flashback, and the main one. Then slowly... we get more mini arcs involved for the secondary characters. Once more I feel like this was just way to much for what we did get. But also, it seems the reason this might be was the book's formatting. (though not file wise.)

The book continuously had me reread passages because we would jump characters so dang often that the only reason we knew it was a jump, was the fact we had the High Republic symbol separating between them. Had we been given chapters, and thus a lot longer moments with the characters, I feel like it would have helped the overall pacing of the book.

Overall, it was a fun trip into new stories from a beloved universe, and I can't wait to see what else is in store.

Starting off with Into the Dark, I thought I was going to be just introduced to yet another look at the Great Hyperspace Disaster, however what I came out of it with was so much more. This book is filled with thrilling adventure and mystery while providing some of my favorite characters from the High Republic Era.

Starting with the characters, I would like to point out that if your only complaint about Light of the Jedi was the fact that it was difficult to keep up with the characters, Into the Dark is the perfect book for you. Each character brings their own story filled with depth and intrigue. I believe characterization is truly one of Claudia Gray’s greatest strengths. Each one of the characters holds a special place in my love for the High Republic, but easily at the top of this character list is the sentient navigator rock named Geode.

Another thing that I adore about Claudia Gray’s writing is her perception of the Jedi Order as a whole. We get to see bits of it in her last book Master and Apprentice. And here we get to see it again on full display as it is shown through the padawan Reath Silas, who is not your typical adventurous and powerful Jedi. But instead, he is an academic and thinks through situations tactically. This being the primary aspect of my love for this book as it shows us something new but familiar.

While I thoroughly enjoyed this story there were a few things that partially took away from the experience, the first being that the start of the story is a little bit slow and took a lot of effort for me to keep reading, but it was quickly fixed as the mystery found within began to unfold. The other thing that I personally didn’t enjoy entirely was a side plot telling of a mission undertaken by Jedi Orla and Cohmac 25 years ago. While it does add important characterization to these characters I would have rathered the story be told in a whole chapter rather than spaced out across the book.

But despite these small gripes, the story is incredible, and I wish I could go into further depth as to why I adore it so much but unfortunately, that would delve into spoilers altogether, but in a short summary, I found the mysterious aspects to be the best part of the book as it left me on the edge of my seat trying to find out what was going happen next.

In conclusion, Into the Dark is a brilliant addition to the High Republic line up and is a must-read for the future of this new era.

An incredibly fun story, from beginning to end. Interesting Jedi characters?? Dark sided plant monsters?? Thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

*Thanks to Disney/Lucasfilm Press for the free eARC*

Having Claudia Gray writing Star Wars YA again is one of the things I've most been looking forward to about the first slate of High Republic books, and she's delivered a solid book that, while not the best of Star Wars literature, stands quite well amidst the ever-growing galaxy of books.

The High Republic era is fleshed out quite well here: it's made clear that this isn't the exact same Star Wars galaxy we know and love, but a nuanced past filled with events that shaped the stories of the movies. So far, it seems the High Republic books suffer, at times, from feeling stuffed with characters - Into the Dark feels significantly less so than Light of the Jedi, thankfully. The interconnectedness helped the book at times, and hindered it at others. I'm interested to see how this will continue to play out moving forward.

The main cast of heroes here is pretty well-rounded. The protagonist, Reath Silas, is a padawan who's less gifted in the Force than most other Jedi, and who'd rather stay on Coruscant in the temple libraries than journey to wild space. (So relatable! XD) The rest of the Jedi manage to all be unique (with the exception of Ora and Cohmac, who feel quite similar at times, yet remain distinct enough I managed to mostly shrug it off). The crew of the Vessel, the Jedi's hired ship for the mission, has a hippie, Han Solo-esque pilot, a teenage co-pilot, and a navigator, Geode. He is probably my favorite character in the entire book. The silent, firm, yet somehow lively Vintian is an enigma. I'm simultaneously dying to know more about him and hoping his secrets are never revealed, so he can remain a mysterious sentient rock forever.

I didn't particularly care for the Nihil in this one, which is a shame because I found them to be one of the better parts of Light of the Jedi. Suffice it to say that the few Nihil characters we get to see up close are treated quite oddly by plot and writer, and the rest of them remain a distant threat. As for the...other forces the Jedi face, those were super cool.

Plot-wise, it jumps around quite a bit, but manages to be readable and interesting. There's a lot of...funky things, in this book. And I liked it. It also managed to hit me in the feels when I least expected it.

I had a love/hate relationship with the ending - without going into spoilers, Reath's actions in their last confrontation with their enemies does not feel supremely Jedi-like, and Cohmac's philosophy on the Force takes a wonky turn. On the other hand, Geode gets a fantastic moment, and I really enjoyed the ending of Affie Hollow's arc.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Into the Dark and found it a worthy addition to this new era of Star Wars. Hopefully it gets even better from here.

Fans of Star Wars books have a lot of questions about the Jedi of the High Republic and this book gives us so many answers! Reath Silas is our entry point in this YA adventure. As a novel in the first phase of the High Republic this book deals with the repercussions of The Great Disaster.

Reath is a young padawan more comfortable in the Jedi Archives then going on grand adventures. Reath's Master Jora Malli , puts and end to Reath's comfortable life buy telling him they will be taking a post on the far reaches of space at Starlight Beacon.

Now Reath and several other Jedi Masters are on route to the station when the great disaster strands their vessel and several others. They make it to an abandoned space station with other ships that have been thrown out of hyperspace.
Reath and his fellow Jedi encounter deadly creatures on the station and inadvertently create a situation where these creatures can spread themselves across the galaxy.

I adore Reath! His humor and internal monologues are so funny. It was amazing watching his journey in this novel and I hope to see him in future adventures.

The Star Wars saga and connected universe are blockbusters in the category of books and film. With the conclusion of the latest portion of the Star Wars timeline, creators have begun new adventures via a prequel time period far earlier. Combining the recently acquired, earlier timeline with the proven Star Wars author Claudia Gray makes for an exciting adventure with different characters but a familiar galaxy. With Into the Dark, Gray sets us off with a fresh set of Jedis fighting enemies new to them and new to the reader. This young adult novel centers around Reath Silas, a padawan different than those of the past. Because he is living in the glory days of the Jedi, Reath can afford to be a more complacent character. He can be less worried about defending himself and combat, while studying galaxy culture and history. When he is ordered to take a position outside of his comfort zone, he is forced to deal with unfamiliar situations and peoples. Testing his Jedi training in real time, Reath makes new friends and mentors. I love that the idea that he is somewhat introverted and nervous about leaving the familiar, not the usual Jedi who is full blast and oozing with bravery. We hear him thinking his way through immediate thoughts and setting himself straight via his Jedi training: “Whenever you feel foolish, remember that you have been given an opportunity to learn. The truly foolish act is to refuse that opportunity.” The ensuing adventure sets up a new world which needs Jedi help, characters that have histories to tell and archaic frontiers that seem to be yet untouched by civilization. I enjoyed my first dip into this introduction of ”The High Republic”, and look forward to more of the imagination of Claudia Gray.

'Star Wars: The High Republic: Into the Dark' by Claudia Gray is the lastest release in the brand new era of stories which lays out the path of the Jedi prior to The Phantom Menace.

Gray is one of a select handful of Star Wars universe authors chosen for this set of books. Already known for other stories within the franchise history such as 'Leia: Princess of Alderaan,' 'Lost Stars,' and 'Bloodline,' she's also released her own series.. the Firebird novels.

Charles Soule authored the first of The High Republic era novels.. 'Light of the Jedi,' which was released in January and 'The Rising Storm' by Cavan Scott is due to arrive in June.

'Into the Dark' follows a padawan named Reath Silas who prefers the scholarly side of the Jedi Order. Most of his days at the Jedi Temple in Coruscant spent in the Archives studying, his Master takes an assignment in the undeveloped frontier in hopes it will broaden his interest in adventuring and help him achieve the much needed balance that's central to their practice.

When the ship he's traveling on are forced to drop out of hyperspace due to a galactic-wide disaster, it's only the first in many things that begins to upend their plans.

As the Jedi and their traveling companions have to take refuge on what appears to be an abandoned space station, the Jedi themselves begin to feel something at work within the Force that unnerves them. They suffer strange visions and feelings they can't explain.

Whether you're a Star Wars fan like myself or you just enjoy great sci-fi storytelling, there's nothing not to love about this book. It's filled with all the angst, mystery, and betrayal that the franchise has come to be known for throughout the years and the story itself is crafted expertly. There were things I expected to occur that never did and things I never saw coming until they were upon me.

I express enough how rare those kinds of occurrences are for me in any kind of media consumption.. but here we are.

The dynamics between the characters are wonderfully fleshed out, especially within the smaller groups that have more familiarity with one another. The natural instincts to fall back on those they often knew best.. before the others.. sometimes worked against them and I feel the story constantly pushed each of them to see beyond their biases.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Star Wars story if it didn't make me well up with tears at least once.. and that certainly held true here. Gray did such a great job of weaving a connection between the characters and myself as a reader.. that I felt no indifference for anyone involved.. I was either deeply invested in their survival or their end.

What I often love about this franchise is that even the 'heroes' are not infallible. They often suffer grave setbacks, question even the most desperate choices they're forced to make, and mourn the actions they eventually succumb to taking. It doesn't hurt, that Star Wars has taught me not to take even their most popular characters for granted.. because anyone can be lost, one way or another.. just as anyone can persevere, even if maybe we wish they wouldn't.

Short (Geode-sized) Review. Buy this book. Claudia Gray has spun another fun filled Star Wars Adventure. Highly recommended.

Expanded (Reath-sized) Review. When Disney and Lucasfilm Press announced the Star Wars: High Republic concept I was immediately intrigued because of the creative talent they were bringing together. From authors such as Claudia Gray and Charles Soule to concept artists like Iain McCaig (Designer of Darth Maul) and Phil Noto. Then I heard this new time period was set 200 years before the Skywalker saga and focused on the Jedi. On top of the talent and the time period we have a shared universe concept that crossovers novels, comic books and magazines. This sounded exciting and so far the everything is hitting on all cylinders for me including Claudia Gray's Star Wars: The High Republic: Into The Dark.

This novel continues with events taking place around The Great Disaster. While there are several books and comics weaving stories that take place around The Great Disaster the stories can all be read independently as they stand on their own. Although reading them all gives you a better sense of The New High Republic era. The references to characters from other stories is fun in the individual novels and comics for those reading all the stories you still get a complete story in this novel without reading any of the other books or comics. People can really pick up any comic or book and jump right into The High Republic.

What I want to start with for this novel is the characters. Claudia Gray does an excellent job of introducing us to and filling out a list of new characters. If us, as readers, don't care about and fall in love with the characters then the novel just won't work. We have to buy in and care about them for a novel to be memorable. Standouts for me where Orla Jareni; A Wayseeker Jedi. She's wise, independent and struggling with a second storyline that involves her past. Affie who gives us a human angle to the story. Reath Silas a Jedi I could relate to with his love of books and history. I have to commend Claudia Gray on how she writes Geode. How the other characters talk about Geode gave me several laugh out loud moments. 

The next element is story that's always moving forward. The novel doesn't drag because she always has the characters on the move. What I also love about these new stories is the atmosphere of the era. After reading stories in the dark times of the Empire it's refreshing to read about a time period that's hopeful. The villain's are also unique and mysterious. The Drengir and The Nihl are wonderful new additions to the Star Wars Rogue's Gallery. 

Lastly, I realize this is billed as a Young Adult novel but it doesn't feel that way. It reads to me like an adult novel but with a more narrow focus of characters and locations. Honestly if someone hadn't told me it was a Young Adult novel I wouldn't have known it. I hope you have as much fun reading this novel as I did. I was provided an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.