A Test of Courage is a great introduction into the High Republic. It’s fast-paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat and also explores deep meaning of what it means to be a Jedi and a leader. Vernestra Rwoh is one of my favorite characters in Star Wars because she feels so real. This story is a great first step into the Star Wars galaxy.

I am not the biggest fan of movie/tv show tie ins but they are important to have in a classroom library. Students who are not very motivated to read are more likely to pick up a book with familiar characters. Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage is nothing to write home about but it definitely has a place in the classroom.

This is an engaging story. Even though it is a children's fiction and middle-grade book it is still exciting and fulfilling for older Star Wars fans too. Sometimes this age group might feel unsatisfied with a story or feel the story is childish. But this is well done and appropriate as well. It was nice to get to know the well-developed characters. Even if you are not familiar with the Star Wars Universe and have read nothing else you won't feel lost. Nevertheless, a Star Wars fan is usually eager to read or experience anything Star Wars and you won't be disappointed either. I recommend it!

This novel is a great MG Star Wars novel that focuses on its lead gaining responsibility for themselves and each other. While it can be read independently it does benefit from awareness of other High Republic titles.

A great introduction to some of the most fascinating and loveable young characters in The High Republic era of Star Wars. Justina Ireland writes middle-grade stories in a way that speaks to the trials and tribulations of younger readers but still engages the minds of older Star Wars readers. Do not skip out on these books - no matter what age you are.

Another good installment in The High Republic series. This one picks up where Into the Dark left off. Jedi Knight Vanestra and padawan Imri are thrown kin to chaos when their ship explodes and they are left in a barely space worthy ship with two teenagers who have lost family. While they struggle to survive, they also struggle to understand the loss of their loved ones. Will the dark side win?

The High Republic is an era of story telling set 200 years before the events of Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. The stories are told in many different formats, including adult novels, young adult, junior novels and comics. In order to get the complete story you will need to read everything, but each story does tell it's own adventure that is fun and exciting. The High Republic Era is one of my favorite eras of Star Wars. The characters are new and exciting. A test of Courage followed Jedi Knight Vern, one of the youngest Jedi Knights in the order, Vern and her crew, crash land on a planet and have to fight to survive against the evil Nihil.

This is a great middle grade book of the Star Wars genre. I was impressed by the fast pace and heavy action that kept me engaged. I also liked the mature level of grief and anger displayed that was still easy to process. Justina Ireland may have written this book for a younger audience, but it’s truly for any age.

A Test of Courage by Justina Ireland is the new junior reader or middle grade book set in the High Republic era. Yesterday was my review for Light of the Jedi, and I still can’t get over how much I loved it. So does Test of the Courage keep that enthusiasm going?

Yes, I’d say it does. More than I thought it would, I’d say. I tend to have very similar reviews for a lot of the junior reader books or the Star Wars Adventures comics or anything for which I’m not the target audience. And that is that they’re fine. I understand them for what they are, they’re not created with me in mind, that’s why Light of the Jedi is for. But Justina Ireland’s work in Star Wars has always been fun to read, and of the many middle grade books that have been written in the new canon, A Test of Courage is absolutely one of the best.

Like Light of the Jedi, the setup for this book is intense, far more intense than I was expecting. The stakes are high. It’s a book for a younger demographic, but it’s not exactly pulling any punches. The Great Disaster and the Nihil are galaxy wide threats, and they are treated as such. But I will say the scope of the story is much smaller and more personal. One of the things I loved about Light of the Jedi is that it bounces between characters and locations and it spans a good amount of time, really filling us in on what the galaxy is like at this point in time while dealing with this major crisis. It’s not really feasible for a book of this length to do all that, so it’s more focused. Our main characters are all in the same place dealing with their own crisis that is connected to the events and problems of Light of the Jedi. While I prefer my Star Wars stories to be a little more expansive, I found a lot to like in getting more personal and spending more time with four characters instead of a whole ensemble.

And those four characters are fun to read about. Vernestra Rwoh is the focus, a very young Jedi Knight at the age of fifteen. But Avon Starros, an ancestor of Sana Starros is running around causing chaos as well. There’s a padawan named Imri, who I think has the best arc in the book, and the son of an ambassador named Honesty who’s no slouch either. Vernestra and Imri and their relationship were my favorite part of the book, but I won’t say more than that to avoid spoilers. And it’s good that I like all the characters because I think this story is very much setting up to have its own continuation just like Light of the Jedi did. I really like the idea that the novels, young adult novels, and junior readers might all have their own ongoing stories to keep the era moving forward, giving readers of all ages something to look forward to in each phase, instead of these stories being one offs.

And since this is all kind of an interconnected publishing effort, you can absolutely expect A Test of Courage to connect with the stories around it. Well, it connects to Light of the Jedi, I haven’t read Into the Dark at the time of writing this. It’s not necessary at all to read the novel first, but I found myself glad that I did. That said, where Light of the Jedi had me really feeling like we were in a new era of Star Wars, A Test of Courage felt like it maybe could have fit in very easily in the prequel era. The Nihil are around, but they could have been changed to Hondo or any pirate crew, really. I think that makes sense, this book very well could be someone’s first Star Wars book, so it needs to be a little more accessible. And if we’re going to be moving forward with these same characters and situations, I think the storyline will become more and more uniquely set in the High Republic era. No spoilers, but the last few chapters and the epilogue are what really piqued my interest going forward.

I’m definitely someone that talks about connections and easter eggs and all that. I’m a lore junkie. While A Test of Courage might not be full of stuff like that, it more than makes up for it with actual substance, which is obvioulsy more important. I love what it has to say about teaching young people to be Jedi or...you know...good people in the real world. Which is what Star Wars has always been about. That the darkness inside of us isn’t something you beat once and then that’s it. Battle done. No, you have to choose the light every day. On the flip side you might have some bad and dark days, but it doesn’t make you a bad and dark person forever. You can choose to be better.

If you’re planning on being a High Republic completionist, A Test of Courage is a very worthy addition to the era. If you’ve got a younger reader that maybe wants to start reading Star Wars, this is one of the best options out there and a great entry point.

this was such a good read, I loved diving back into the Star Wars universe. This book had what I was looking for in this type of book, it was a fun journey.

So first off we have a middle grade book A Test of Courage by Justina Ireland that I did quite enjoy it I think it’s probably more interesting than most than most younger reader Star Wars books. One of the interesting things about it is the discussion force in some of the deeper things they are involved in during this book. My favorite character in this book was character by the name of Vernestra Rwoh, a young Jedi Knight. I think it definitely is separated from the high republic anyways but it also has many Easter eggs in reference to the larger galaxy that I was appreciated and intrigued by them I I don’t think it’s a bad first option especially if you’re like a kid or something . The interesting bits I’d say it was the discussion at the arc of some characters in the book particularly in Jedi characters with her like it something visit Greif and the dark side of the force and everything in the climax of the book you could say it ended a bit abruptly yet I think that this book is set up some potential follow ups that I do believe are happening, overall I think it was a very good book not my favorite but not bad at all.

This is the first book I’ve read from the High Republic era. It’s also the first middle grade Star Wars book I’ve read. And I’m very impressed. It’s fast and action-heavy, but it’s also surprisingly mature in its treatment of grief and anger. Test of Courage can easily hold its own against any adult Star Wars novel. I’m excited for the rest of the High Republic, obviously, but I’m now especially interested in the continued story or Vernestra, Imri, Avon, and Honesty.

This may be for a younger audience but rest assured Justina Ireland doesn’t pull her punches. The stakes are real and Ireland isn’t afraid to take these characters into the dark. Highly recommended.

I didn't get a chance to fully read this before I lost my copy but I will definitely recommend it to my library. I love the author's other works and thus had wanted to get this advance copy. The characters were well written and it was a very engaging story from what I got to read. I love when the expanded star wars universe books are good, its so great to have more of the galaxy to explore!

This was my first title by Justina Ireland despite having Dread Nation on my TBR list for ages. It's another excellent addition to the new Star Wars High Republic titles, and I loved meeting an ancestor of one of my favorite characters from the Star Wars comics. Vernestra as a new, younger than most, Jedi is struggling to find her place now that she's no longer a Padawan. Imri, who is already struggling with feeling he's unworthy as a Padawan, feels intimidated by prodigy Vernestra. The two of them plus Avon, child genius inventor (and senator's daughter) make a great team and I really hope that we see more of them in future High Republic titles.

*I received an eARC in exchange for my honest review*
A Test of Courage is a very good middle grade book that, while it doesn't quite fully transcend its audience, manages to be a reasonably enjoyable read. The all-child cast of characters can be a tad bit annoying at times, but not overly so. It's done believably enough, especially for the target age group, and the characters themselves are enjoyable. Vernestra is a fine addition to the era's Jedi Knights, although she seems a bit young to hold that distinction. I was especially delighted by Avon Starros. As an avid Star Wars comics reader, it was the icing on the cake to see Sana Starros' kin in a very different societal position than Sana finds herself in several hundred years.

ARC from Netgalley.
As part of the High Republic series, this book (which for some reason is marked J Fiction, which is surprising given its complexity) continues the story of the Jedi preparing to make the Outer Rim safe with Starlight Beacon. This time, we follow Vernestra Rwoh, a Jedi who recently passed the Trials and became a Jedi Knight. She is on a mission to escort passengers to Starlight Beacon onboard the Steady Wing. When the ship is sabotaged by Nihil Strikes, Vern must escape to a nearby planet. Going with her is:
Avon Starros, young inventor and daughter of a Senator
J-6, Avon's nanny droid who is also her protector
Honesty Weft, son of the Dalnan Ambassador
and Imri Cantaros, Padawan of a Master who dies during the attack on the Steady Wing

One element that is explored near the end is about a Jedi beginning to turn to the Dark Side. I get an odd feeling that this won't be the only one we have to hear about during these High Republic stories.
So far, so good. This is my second High Republic story and I am really loving this era so far. So much new tech and a completely new feeling to everything. Bravo SW Canon team!

Recommend. Even though this is technically a kids book, SW fans will enjoy it

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy for review.

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. A Test of Courage was an excellent addition to Star Wars canon. There were four POV characters, and each of them had their own personality and voice, which is such a welcome feat, especially for middle grade novels. I loved Vernestra and look forward to seeing her journey as a Jedi. I only hope there are going to be more books featuring her. Highly recommended.

I have to preface this review by stating that I'm a huge Star Wars fan. I was a bit worried when they announced that there would be new media exploring the High Republic, but I am very happy with the books I have read so far. Specifically, I really enjoyed 'A Test of Courage' because I think it would be an excellent introduction to the series for young readers. When I think about what makes a good Star Wars stories, I think about great characters and awesome action sequences, and this book definitely delivers. I really hope that you will check this book out!

PODCAST REVIEW (audio): Star Wars: The High Republic is here! Mike Celestino (Laughing Place / Who’s The Bossk Podcast) and Drew Kaplan (Star Wars Maven) join Sarah and Richard on a spoiler-free discussion of the first three High Republic novels.

Listen to the Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4DNMcfGoTL6LeVHPuh93qL

A Test of Courage by Justina Ireland
Publish Date: 1/5/21
Story Overview: Vernestra Rwoh has just become a Jedi Knight at age fifteen, but her first real assignment feels an awful lot like babysitting. She’s been charged with supervising eleven-year old aspiring inventor Avon Starros on a cruiser headed to the dedication of a wondrous new space station called Starlight Beacon. But soon into their journey, bombs go off aboard the cruiser. While the adult Jedi try to save the ship, Vernestra, Avon, Avon’s droid J-6, a Jedi Padawan, and an ambassador’s son make it to an escape shuttle, but communications are out and supplies are low. They decide to land on a nearby moon, which offers shelter but not much more. And unbeknownst to them, danger lurks in the forest…

How does this fit in to Star Wars?
The events within this book occur entirely within the timeline laid out in Light of the Jedi.

Star Wars The High Republic A Test of Courage is an excellent book.

My review will be spoiler free.

I enjoyed reading A Test of Courage. The story was truly a test. A test for the characters, a test for the fans, and a test for the new fans to see what fun new adventures are waiting for all of us in the new High Republic era of Star Wars. I think the book and characters all passed the test of courage. Every character gained new found courage throughout the story. Each character grew with each passing chapter. It was the perfect way to enter a new era of star wars books with a group of kids who had wide eyes and were just as excited as the audience. Kids will enjoy reading this story because the main characters are all young. You have young kids and teenagers as your main protagonists. I think kids will really bond and relate to the hero’s of the story. In particular Avon and the droid J6 are awesome fun characters. Avon reminds me very much of Lunella Lafayette from Marvels Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. Once you read the book, you’ll see what I mean.

Star Wars The High Republic: A Test of Courage has everything you need in a Star Wars story: Jedi, Scoundrels, funny Droids who you should never underestimate, adventure, a few scary parts, and lots and lots of fun.

I highly recommend this book But I think it should be noted for all Parents and Librarians that from Chapter 17 to the end of the book the story gets very dark. Some kids reading the story might get a little frightened or worried. Those chapters are awesome but maybe a little too intense for some younger readers.

I also enjoyed all the references to other Star Wars books, cartoons, movies and comics. There so many fun details Star Wars fans will enjoy and get a kick out of! Be on the look out, there are many awesome details throughout the story.

Enjoy reading!

Trust in the Force!