Out of the Shadows is another fantastic entry in the High Republic. I cannot wait to see what comes next!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Justina Ireland provides another look at fan favorite characters Vernestra Rwoh, Reath Silas, and others while showing the fall of Starlight Beacon from other perspective. I usually think THR books read better together, but this book is one that works well independently largely on the strength of its lead characters.

This was another great installment to the young adult line in the High Republic. I particularly enjoyed the queer relationship/romance, which was integrated into the story in a satisfying way. This was a slow moving, contemplative book and some readers of Star Wars might find it lacking the fast pace and action of some of the other books, but for those who enjoy character development, relationships and contemplations about identity and finding one's place in the world, they will find much to enjoy here.

I do wonder about the decision to bring in Imri and Vernestra into a YA novel, as they were introduced in the middle grade novel, A Test of Courage, which was recently released during the last wave of the High Republic. This isn't a case of readers growing up with the books, and characters aging with them. These are subsequent publications. And to fully appreciate their character arcs in Out of the Shadows, I feel that you need to have read the children's novel (Which is excellent, to be fair). Will teens be willing to do that? I am not sure.

Overall, a solid entry into the High Republic, with great characters--new and returning.

Out of the Shadows is part of an on-going series of books set during the High Republic, a time well before the events of the Star Wars movies. Like the other books I've read in this series, Out of the Shadows centers on younger Jedi, which gives a different perspective on Jedi and the Force, and shows how general training and individualization take place once a Padawan learner is assigned to a Jedi Knight or Jedi Master. This volume, also like other books in the series, deals with the depredations of the Nihil, a terrorist organization that is wreaking havoc throughout the Republic. This volume reunites several characters who were in previous volumes, tying up several story lines from several other novels. While it could be read as a stand-alone novel, Out of the Shadows will probably be even better if read within the context and sequence of the previous books.

I enjoyed revisiting these characters and seeing how they have evolved since the last novel they were in, as well as seeing how they interacted with each other. One of the things I'm really enjoying with this entire set is seeing the training and evolution of more typical young Jedi, showing more of the range of abilities that Jedi may possess and how they are taught to identify and maximize those abilities. Having this set in a good story makes it even better; Out of the Shadows is a well-paced, interesting, and exciting story, which leaves the reader guessing what will happen next, then brings the intrigue to a fine conclusion, giving a sense of completion, while setting up story lines for what could be one or several novels, which I look forward to reading in the future. The characters engage in a fair amount of introspection, which enhances the story. Recommended for anyone who enjoys Star Wars novels, as well as anyone who enjoys solidly-written science fiction and good character development.

Thanks to NetGalley & Disney Publishing Worldwide for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first jump into the High Republic series and it was pretty entertaining! I was able to follow along despite not reading the books in the right order and the characters were vibrant and interesting.

Vernestra was my favorite, but Syl was a really fun character as well. As for the other characters, the Jedi were memorable but I had a harder time keeping track of Syl's crew and other side characters since they felt same-y at times. Will keep reading the High Republic especially for Vernestra!

Out of the Shadows by Justina Ireland is the second young adult novel in The High Republic era, and it’s out today. Taking place a couple months after the events of The Rising Storm and Race to Crashpoint Tower, this book is very different. Those first two stories cover the Nihil attack on the Republic Fair. Out of the Shadows is all about the aftermath.

Since that’s the case, it’s far more character driven. While there are some pretty major developments for the High Republic era, it didn’t feel like reading The Rising Storm, which was a fast-paced roller coaster. Out of the Shadows is a lot slower and more methodical. It spends a lot of time thinking, exploring the characters, and diving into what is going on with the Jedi now that they’ve joined the Republic in a joint effort to actively seek out and destroy the Nihil.

At least part of The High Republic stories are about the Jedi losing their way after being at their absolute height. How does an organization determined to preserve light and life become disconnected from the people they’re meant to serve? How do they become more and more wrapped up into politics? This is the book that has explored that idea the most so far. And I love that it throws out a lot of ideas. It’s not just one thing the Jedi all of a sudden changed. It’s a lot of little changes they made over time. And they’re largely changes that make sense for the problems they’re dealing with. But it kind of reminds me of Palpatine and his emergency powers in The Clone Wars. The Republic felt that was necessary for its time, but it all hinged on the idea that Palpatine would, you know, give them up when the time came and he didn’t. The Jedi and the Republic, in theory, should go back to the way things were before the Nihil once the threat has ended. But they probably won’t, and they’re setting up some dangerous precedents by working so closely together.

Through the eyes of our main characters, I think we’re seeing a story about how parental or authority figures are viewed by young adults as they grow up. When we’re kids we think our parents know everything. We think they can do no wrong. But there comes a time where you realize they’re humans like everyone else. They have faults. They’ve done things they’re not proud of. Vernestra Rwoh has to witness that in not only her former master, Stellan Gios, but also the Jedi Order as a whole. Space freighter Syl Yarrow has to confront the past of her mother. A mother whose past she realizes she knew nothing about. I think that’s an excellent and relatable theme for a young adult book to explore. Coming to terms with the idea that authority figures aren’t always the shining examples we’ve built them up to be, and knowing that we may one day be in that same position, having someone looking up to us, thinking we’re infallible and perfect.

That brings me to Vernestra Rwoh, who is easily my favorite character in this book. She was good in A Test of Courage, but she really shines in Out of the Shadows. At only seventeen years old, she’s really struggling to be an example for her Padawan, Imri, who is only a couple years younger than she is. She might be growing up too early. Speaking of growing up, it dawned on me, especially with the time jump in between Waves One and Two, we might get to see a lot of these characters fully grow up in The High Republic. Vernestra might be a Jedi Master by the end of the era, and I think that’s awesome.

The other characters were good, too. I liked seeing Reath Silas return. Same with Imri, Vern’s Padawan. But I did miss the more frantic and fast pacing of The Rising Storm and Race to Crashpoint Tower. It probably doesn’t help that I read Out of the Shadows immediately after the other two and it was like forcing me to calm down when I just wanted to keep running. But I acknowledge that it’s good that these stories aren’t all the same. We need that ebb and flow. We need to slow down and see what is actually happening to the Jedi and the Republic and these people as they take on the Nihil and the Drengir and other dangers in the Outer Rim. And while I do think overall this story was a tad slow, I can’t deny that some very surprising things happen at the end that have me excited to see where these characters go next, especially Vernestra.

I didn’t love Out of the Shadows as much as much as the previous High Republic entries, but if you like Vernestra even a little bit, or if you think musings on the slow decline of the Jedi or philosophical discussions about the Republic and the Force and even hyperspace are up your alley, then you’ll find a lot to enjoy here.

After the tragic events of the Rising Storm, it was interesting to take a step back and view the disaster through both traditional and nontraditional eyes in the galaxy. Vernestra and Reath are our eyes and ears into the Jedi and how they are handling (or not handling) Valo, while Nan (notably from Into the Dark) is way into enemy camp with the Nihil. Newcomer Sylvestri Yarrow is just trying to make her way in the galaxy the best she knows how...but things rarely ever stay simple.

The book artfully weaved multiple POVs across a rather short time span, but did struggle in certain points to come to a conclusion that both wrapped up parts, but left enough for what is to come for these characters. Overall, it was a solid read and another great foray into the galaxy far away for Project Luminous!

'Out of Shadows' is one of the best entries in the High Republic initiative as it flips the idea of "the golden age" on its head entirely. Justina Ireland peels back the most essential political and socioeconomic layers of the galaxy during this era and unveils a potentially rotten core amidst a time of greatness. There's plenty of complexity around the what kind of role the Jedi should be serving during military time and a disillusionment with the effectiveness of Republic policymaking. This is where the book shines above some of its predecessors, which have been more focused on world-building and high-stakes action — not that those elements are lacking here, but the focus is more philosophical in nature. There's also a mystery at the center of it all revolving around Sylvestri Yarrow, whose relatable story is one of love and loss.

For more of my thoughts on 'Out of the Shadows,' check out our full spoiler discussion on the Friends of the Force podcast: https://www.friendsoftheforcepod.com/episodes/episode/1a296449/out-of-the-shadows-the-high-republic-spoiler-discussion.

Out of The Shadows gives us insight into how the events of the Valo fair ripple into other parts of the galaxy. Syl yarrow is our guide in this story. Syl succeeds in many levels as the character we follow in this adventure. Syl not only shines as a diverse character but she also represents many of those that don't have a voice in her galaxy and our own. Syl has little time to grieve the recent death of her mother before she is dragged out of hyperspace and attacked by the Nihil.

Barely escaping with her life Syl goes to Coruscant hoping to get the republic to help. She instead finds her self involved with the wealthy Graf family and the Jedi order. Fate also brings her ex-girlfriend into Syl's life and secrets of her mothers past.

I really loved this book. The High Republic team really excels at integrating story arcs from various books . Justina takes threads from her own previous HR books as well as all the Phase One books seamlessly into a rich rewarding read for those that have consumed all the HR content along with being welcoming to new readers. I especially loved seeing Justina's version of Reath and the character growth of both Vernestra and Imri.

Star Wars: Out of the Shadows was written by New York Times Bestselling Author, Justina Ireland.

Justina Ireland did a pretty good job with her previous High Republic book, Test of Courage. However, with this one, I checked out early. I read the whole thing, but my care for anything going on was absent. There are parts of the story that are ok, but there are many parts that were just so boring.

I love that this book tied in with the other High Republic books and comics so well. Familiar and new characters have a lot going on. The events on Valo have many people throughout the galaxy scared. The Nihil are really making a name for themselves. The Jedi are getting really frustrated with the Nihil, but also with struggle they face by dipping too far into the affairs of Republic politics and war (sounds familiar).

This book had a lot of cringey material. I don't know why the YA books have more adult themed subjects than the adult books. For example, alcohol consumption, sexual advances, and even prostitution. When a YA book has to mention every sexual orientation and every racial skin tone, it doesn't read good. It feels like a a diversity training manual disguised as a Star Wars book.

I'm not kidding, just about every character that was brought in was described by the color of their skin, it's poor character development, I can understand doing this occasionally... but all the time? Please stop. Our main character, Syl, is horn-dog, she's so pervy.

RATING: I hate doing it, but I have to give this book an F. I spend my time reading books and I want to like them, I really do. The most important thing I MUST do, is be honest and give my opinion on the book. Some of you folks, will love this story.

I am really enjoying the High Republic stories so far, and this one was no exception. In Ireland's YA space war, Syl is a brave role model for all teens to look up to. Even though her luck seems to be running out (we never ask the odds) I remained calm and was thoroughly engaged by the fast paced, action filled scenes. This book had a great cast of familiar faces of the High Republic and is a must read for any Star Wars fan.

ARC from Netgalley.
Here we have the 3rd book in the second part of the High Republic storyline. While the last two books (The Rising Storm, and Race to Crashpoint Tower) mostly dealt with the attack on the Republic Fair, this one continues on with the story.
Featuring Jedi Vernestra Rwoh and her Padawan Imri, but also introducing Sylvestri Yarrow (Syl) as a freighter pilot who distrusts Jedi. The basic story revolves around the Jedi being put under political pressure to assist with a planet ownership dispute between two very powerful families: Graf and San Tekka; both of which got rich establishing hyperspace lanes. It turns out that the Graf family are working closely with the Nihil, who still have a presence here, and are still the chaotic pirates they have always been. Vernestra gets a chance to grow stronger as a Jedi, both developing her visions that happen while travelling in hyperspace, and is given a gift by Mari San Tekka (who was being held captive by the Nihil who use her to plan new Paths) of knowledge of the Paths.
This book was kind of a slow burn, but still felt very pertinent to the overall story. Given that it is placed at 200 years before EP1, I wonder what kind of connections we will see, including maybe the rise of Darth Plagueis??
Recommend, though the adult ones are much better.

This review was originally published for Unaltered Magazine:
https://unaltered.at/2021/08/25/star-wars-the-high-republic-out-of-the-shadows/

Vor wenigen Wochen veröffentlichten wir unser Review zu den ersten beiden Büchern der Phase 2 der Star Wars High Republic-Serie und schon schließen wir diese mit dem dritten Buch, Out of the Shadows, auch schon wieder ab – und zwar mehr als würdig.

Out of the Shadows ist das offizielle zweite Young Adult Buch der High Republic-Ära, also speziell für junge Erwachsene geschrieben. Von dieser Kategorisierung sollte man sich jedoch nicht abschrecken lassen. Young Adult bezieht sich in erster Linie auf das Alter der Protagonisten, während die eigentliche Story jener der „Hauptbücher“ in nichts nachsteht. Im Fall von Phase 2 hat mir Out of the Shadows sogar besser gefallen als The Rising Storm.

Spätestens jetzt wird auch mehr als deutlich, wie eng sämtliche Werke der High Republic miteinander verbunden sind. Im Mittelpunkt der Handlung stehen diesmal nämlich einmal mehr die vorigen Protagonisten der bisherigen Bücher, deren Storys direkt weitererzählt werden. Darunter befinden sich Vernestra Rwoh, Reath Silas, Imri Cantaros, Cohmac Vitus und Stellan Gios, die sich einmal mehr der Bedrohung der Nihil gegenübersehen – zumindest vermutlich, denn während niemand so genau weiß wie, verschwinden seit einiger Zeit regelmäßig Schiffe bei Lichtgeschwindigkeitsreisen durch den eigentlich leeren Berenge-Sektor, und die Jedi werden ausgesendet, Gerüchten über eine neue Hyperraum-Waffe nachzugehen. Als Neuzugang lernen wir zudem Sylvestri Yarrow kennen, die nach dem Verlust ihrer Mutter und als ehemaliges Mitglied der nun aufgelösten Byne Guild alle Hände voll damit zu tun hat, sich selbst und ihre kleine Crew über Wasser zu halten – bis ein alter Bekannter ihrer Mutter ihr offenbart, dass diese mitunter noch am Leben sein und mit den Nihil zusammenarbeiten könnte.

Wie bereits im vorigen Review geschrieben, fühlte sich Rising Storm ein wenig wie ein zweites Intro-Buch an, mit vielen spannenden Charaktereinblicken, letztendlich aber mit wenig tatsächlichen Entwicklungen. Out of the Shadows hält sich mit Charaktermomenten und Introspektive ebenfalls nicht zurück, fügt dem Ganzen aber noch so manches einschlägige Ereignis samt sofort fühlbaren Folgen obendrauf. Das Resultat war ein äußerst kurzweiliges Buch, das es schafft, einen auf seinen knapp 350 Seiten von Anfang bis Ende zu fesseln und einem dabei das Gefühl zu geben, endlich auch Einblick hinter die tatsächlichen Geschehnisse der Epoche zu erhalten.

Phasen-Favorit
Mit Out of the Shadows ist Justina Irelands Feder ein weiteres wundervolles Buch voller Spannung und sympathischen Charakteren entsprungen, das zudem direkt in die Top 3 meiner liebsten Werke der bisherigen High Republic-Ära geklettert ist. Der Titel liest sich unglaublich schnell und verbindet gekonnt Drama, Gefühl und Action. Und nach dem Quasi-Cliffhänger am Ende kann ich es einmal mehr auch kaum erwarten, bis im Januar Phase 3 startet.

I have absolutely loved the High Republic publishing initiative unfortunately Justina Ireland's work continues to be on the lower end of quality story telling and character development. Much like her previous book, the entire narrative was slow and cumbersome until the last few chapters and event then I was left with a feeling of "wait, that's it?" The characters should be interesting, the stakes should feel high, but the entire book just seems like a lot of "shoe gazing" as the characters rehash their emotions for the 4th or 5th time. Claudia Grey did a great job at mixing the character development with mystery and an engaging story in her preceding novel so I hoped Justina Ireland would do a similarly great job with the High republic YA novel. I would prefer Justina Ireland stuck to the middle grade novels. I had hoped she could do some better narrative work with a bigger platform in the YA novel category but this novel just felt dull.

“We go where we can best chase away the darkness in the galaxy, and we must not serve any other cause but that.” - Cohmac Vitus

Justina Ireland gives us the next thrilling tale in The High Republic! The story follows Sylvestri Yarrow and a few familiar Jedi as they try to unravel the mystery behind a new rumored Nihil weapon, navigate traitorous political dealings, and follow clues to uncover hidden truths! The story itself reads more like a mystery or thriller than a straightforward action or adventure. Ireland keeps the questions coming as we move forward looking for answers! This book dives deeper into more of the hidden and devious dealings within The High Republic that our intrepid heroes face. The characters are all wonderfully written and it’s a thing of beauty when Star Wars can bring us such a diverse cast of wonderfully fleshed-out representation.

This book is a must-read for anyone curious about the politics of the era and its toll on the working people who are just trying to make their way in the galaxy. If you are looking for something more of a Star Wars thriller or mystery, this is the book!

“My mother used to say politics was where truth went to die, and I’m starting to get what she meant.” - Sylvestri Yarrow

Out of the Shadows follows hauler Sylvestri Yarrow in the months after the attack on Valo. Syl grieves the loss of her mother to the Nihil when suddenly she's kicked out of hyperspace, stranded with the Nihil approaching. In the aftermath of her escape, she finds herself on Courscant trying to get help and attention directed to the imminent threat. But what she ends up getting herself tangled in has far reaching implications....

I hesitate to say anything more about the plot of this book, because there's so much to enjoy and discover. Justina's writing feels very YA, and I say that as a high compliment. Justina crafts a well-paced plot with exciting twists and turns and great character development with new and returning characters alike. This is the most queer book of the High Republic so far, with representation from multiple main characters, including a F/F romance, and that representation is absolutely appreciated.

What's also enjoyable about this entry into the High Republic is how it takes a different lens to the Jedi and the Republic. Syl's POV is highly valuable because it is so different from the main Jedi we have been following thus far. She is cynical and frustrated and the people around her are too. There are many political layers in this book that help to craft a more complex and better understood galaxy from different actors.

All in all, this is an excellent entry into The High Republic canon and a great sequel to Into the Dark!

This book didn't feel quite "Star Wars' enough.. The main character was making decisions that seemed counter to what a Jedi would do, and her logic wasn't sound. I enjoyed seeing the Star Wars world expanding and think that many teens will enjoy this.

Some snippets from my review of Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows, published at Dork Side of the Force:

With Justina Ireland’s Out of the Shadows young adult novel, we’re now six books and two ongoing comic series into The High Republic era of Star Wars. With that, fans know what to expect from the stories set hundreds of years before the Skywalker saga: action and space politics, complex characters with relatable emotions and motivations, Jedi self-doubt, mercurial villains and people navigating their place in the galaxy.

Out of the Shadows delivers on all those fronts, even when it takes a while to get to the action or forgoes fleshing out the story’s climax in favor of spending more time in its characters’ heads.

Out of the Shadows truly shines in its character development, especially that of Syl, who’s filled with grief, anger and cynicism following the death of the mother at the hands of the Nihil and an emotional breakup with Jordanna. Ireland explores Syl’s intense feelings with empathy and authenticity that make us hope for more Syl-centered stories in the future.

Likewise, Ireland explores a relatable journey of self-discovery with Vernestra, one of the youngest Jedi Knights and with a padawan at just 17 years old. Her astounding achievements established high expectations for her role as a teacher and beyond, but none as high as the expectations she puts on herself.

The book ends on a cliffhanger, of course, but it’s one that raises the stakes in the fight against the Nihil and introduces a new “villain” to keep an eye on. Out of the Shadows both satisfies with great character development and leaves you wanting more with a suspenseful ending.

Out of the Shadows is set approximately one year after the galaxy-wide event known as the Great Disaster, which was the impetus for wave one, and a few months after Daniel José Older’s Race to Crashpoint Tower and Cavan Scott’s The Rising Storm, which focused on the Republic Fair conflict on Valo. This book deals not only with the aftermath of that disaster, but really starts to stretch the map as far as the Nihils’ reach is concerned, and the dirty politics involved. As you’ll see in wave two and likely going forward, these isolated incidents are anything but and the Nihil’s list of subordinates, allies, and grease list buddies is long.

But even at a handful of novels and several comic books in, we’re still at the getting to know phase when it comes to the Nihil. Meaning the Jedi are mostly clueless and underestimate not only the galaxy’s war boys’ ruthlessness, but their tactfulness and Marchion Ro’s political prowess as well. They keep up the appearance as though they act with a reckless abandon, with little or no regard for, well, anything. But we (us, the Jedi, everyone) are learning that this organized chaos is not only a literary oxymoron, but also incredibly effective, astoundingly deadly, and goes much deeper than we once thought. But in the simplest of terms, lives are lost, and many on this side of the Force struggle with this reality, that in absence of a clear motive, there are those that just want to see the Jedi burn. Ouch!

Get ready to play the name game in Out of the Shadows and while it’s not super important to have read A Test of Courage and Into the Dark, it definitely couldn’t hurt either (you should read them). Yes, you’d be surprised how many times you can come across the same people in a galaxy this big but here we are. But nothing feels shoehorned in either, it’s a contrived series of happenstance’s and I know someone who can help us’es, and unless this is your first foray into Star Wars, it’s something you get used to.

The two families the summary alludes to are the San Tekkas and the Graf’s, neither a fan of the other. Like the synopsis says they’re fighting over a “patch of space” for reasons that I won’t discuss because that would be a spoiler. But would you be surprised to learn that the Nihil were also interested in this land dispute out in the middle of nowhere, and have a vested interest in which family succeeds? Oh, and that those the stuffy corporate Republic bureaucrats definitely want to know what the fuck is going on? The intersectionality of interested parties is enough to make you head spin, so it’s probably something pretty good, right?

This part of the story takes up most of, if not all of the political thriller/mystery aspect of Out of the Shadows and is done very well. The McGuffin in question is important to the overall wave two scheme and the way in which all the stakeholders converge on this nexus is handled in a calm and cool manner by Justina. It’s adventure without a pulse rate and she keeps the ship steady and the ride very pleasurable. But that’s of one of Justina’s calling cards, isn’t it? Her pacing is downright meditational, and her plotting is excellent, and this book is no exception despite the intricately woven whodunit, whowantsit, and whogetsit, everything is airtight.

For the full review, click the link below...

https://www.cinelinx.com/off-beat/star-wars-the-high-republic-out-of-the-shadows-book-review/