Midnight Horizon, the latest edition to the Star Wars: The High Republic series is absolutely phenomenal. Every expectation I had for this book was blown out of the water.

This was such a strong note to end the books of Phase One with. This wave has been tragic, to say the least, so going into this book I was really afraid I was going to need a box of tissues as I braced myself for some of my characters to bite it but was relieved that most of my tears instead were of joy and elation as MH manages to be both one of if not the most heartfelt and emotional books of the series. Older mixes humor, philosophy, and action masterfully.

This book doesn't ever talk down to its audience, instead welcoming its reader to grapple with its themes surrounding attachment, community, and kinship. Many Star Wars fans have a preconceived notion of what attachment looks like to the Jedi and it isn't quite the full picture, this book expertly details the ways Jedi are connected to other people, and moreover connected to one another.

I absolutely adored this book. Every single character is a standout. That being said, in particular, Kantam Sy SHINES in this book. If you told me walking into this book that a Brown, nonbinary, queer Jedi Master was going to be a main POV character I'm not sure I would have believed you, but lo and behold, DJO delivered. Sy's arc is EVERYTHING to me, they have quickly become a favorite of mine,

Don't hesitate to pick this book up, its a wild, wonderful ride,

The latest and last YA novel in The High Republic phase 1, Midnight Horizon shines thanks to its inclusivity, heart, and all around awesomeness. To sum up the plot, Midnight Horizon takes place shortly before the events of The Fallen Star. A Nihil threat on the planet Corellia has Jedi Master’s Cohmac Vitus and Kantam Sy, along with their respective Padawans Ram Jomaram and Reath Silas on the case. They team up with Alys “Crash” Ongwa, a young, local security specialist who has her own crew and business to contribute to the fight against the Nihil. Force sensitive friend Zeen Mrala is also in the mix as the Jedi and Crash’s crew team up to take down Corellia’s elite but end up uncovering a more devious plot than anyone anticipated.

A strong theme present in Midnight Horizon is that of love. Kantan Sy recounts a time when he stepped away from the Order to pursue a romantic relationship. Zeen and Lula Talisola’s budding relationship is explored, with all its complexities and teenage emotions. New character Crash also has her own complex relationship to deal with. But what I enjoyed the most was seeing the friendship between Ram and Reath, from acquaintances at first to full on bros come story’s end. It was just something that I feel isn’t explored very often and it was refreshing to see that. Kudos to author Daniel José Older who is fearless in exploring how love is a key part to the lives of old and young alike. His expression of how attachment play an important role in the Jedi Order is rooted in humanity and refreshing for a piece of Star Wars media.

As a fan of Older’s IDW comic book series, The High Republic Adventures, I loved the interconnectivity with the characters that I’ve grown to love. I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it, the entirety of The High Republic publishing initiative is impressive, seeing the clean hand-off between all the media is just really cool. Getting to dive deeper into the characters I’ve grown to love from comics is a joy and something I definitely don’t take for granted.

One gripe I had with this book was the pure size of Crash’s security team. There are a lot of them and they haven’t been around long enough for me to easily keep track of their species and quirks, let alone their names. I found myself wanting to go back to this team’s introduction in The High Republic Adventures Annual 2021, simply to use as a visual reference – I’d actually recommend that to anyone picking up this book.

Older’s Midnight Horizon is the perfect book for a new generation of Star Wars fans. He expertly combines the lore of the universe with emotions that are relatable to readers of all ages.

First of all I will not get into any spoilers here because I would love for you all to experience this book in all of its glory. I absolutely loved this book and once again Daniel Jose Older knocks it out of the park. It was so much fun to see the crew of the Starhopper interacting with characters like Reath and Cohmac and it was great to see all of the dots connect. This is such a great story and I cannot recommend it enough! Five out of Five

Star Wars: The High Republic: Midnight Horizon van Daniel José Older is het laatste boek in de eerste fase van de High Republic. Er volgen nog een aantal comic issues en een manga, en dan is het wachten op de start van de tweede fase van het project dat in de herfst van dit jaar van start zal gaan.

Midnight Horizon speelt zich gelijktijdig af met The Fallen Star maar we volgen hier Jedi Masters Cohmac Vitus en Kantam Sy en de Padawans Reath Silas en Ram Jomaram tijdens een missie naar Coronet City op Corellia. Ze zijn gevraagd om te komen helpen omdat er Nihil aanwezig lijken te zijn op de planeet en de Jedi uit de tempel op Corellia druk bezig zijn met problemen op één van de manen van de planeet. Eenmaal in Coronet City aangekomen ontmoeten ze Alys ”Crash” Ongwa, een jonge lokale ondernemer die in de stad de beveiliging regelt voor bekende personen en politici. Enkele van haar medewerkers zijn verdwenen en ze is vastberaden ze terug te vinden en kan de hulp van de Jedi daar goed bij gebruiken. Gedurende hun onderzoek wordt duidelijk dat de situatie vele malen erger is dan ze in eerste instantie verwacht hadden. Tel daarbij op dat terwijl zij zelf in een gevaarlijke situatie belanden, ze ook nog eens te horen krijgen dat Starlight Beacon door de Nihil vernietigd wordt en het zal duidelijk zijn dat de hoofdrolspelers zich in dit verhaal verre van op hun gemak voelen.

Midnight Horizon is geschreven door Daniel José Older, die ook de The High Republic Adventures comics, die uitgegeven worden door IDW, schrijft. Het boek vervolgt dan ook een verhaallijn uit #12 van die serie. Padawan Lula Talisola en haar beste vriendin, en mede Force user, Zeen Mrala vervolgen dat verhaal, maar ook hun diepere achterliggende verhaallijn, in Midnight Horizon. Wil je dus niet gespoild worden voor die comic reeks (al is deze in Europa wat lastig te verkrijgen) dan is het raadzaam om die eerst tot en met nummer 12 gelezen te hebben. Ben je geen comic lezer dan kun je ze ook gewoon overslaan, de extra achtergrond is natuurlijk heel leuk, maar alle belangrijke dingen worden zoals gebruikelijk toegelicht in Midnight Horizon zodat je alles zult snappen. Al zal je emotionele connectie met Lula en Zeen wat minder intens zijn.

Omdat we in een boek als dit veel meer tijd met deze personages, en vooral hun gedachten, kunnen doorbrengen dan in stripboeken mogelijk is, duiken we veel dieper in de situatie tussen Lula en Zeen. Als je al geïnvesteerd bent in de gevoelens die ze voor elkaar lijken te hebben zul je smullen van de diepe duik in het zwembad dat hun onzekerheden, gevoelens en emoties is.

Naast het hoofdverhaal duiken we ook in het verleden van de non-binaire Jedi Master – toen nog Padawan – Kantam Sy die, gedurende hun avontuur op Corellia, Cohmac over een belangrijke tijd in hun verleden vertelt. Een tijd waarin het voor Kantam niet duidelijk was hoe hun toekomst er uit zou gaan zien en of dat als onderdeel van de Jedi Order zou zijn of niet. Kantam’s wijze meester – Yoda! – kwam met een ongebruikelijk methode waarmee hen zelf een antwoord kon formuleren op dat moeilijke vraagstuk. Deze situatie geeft een nieuwe dimensie aan de kern van de Jedi en geeft ons een veel breder beeld van hoe de opleiding van een Jedi er uitziet.

Het is een Young Adult boek, wat betekent dat de schrijfstijl vrij eenvoudig is, maar laat dat je er alsjeblieft niet van weerhouden het te lezen. Het boek bevat veel humor, zo blijkt dat de Padawans geen benul hebben van de waarde van credits en goederen. En sommige, grappige en ietwat overdreven, situaties leken rechtstreeks uit een anime te komen. En zoals het een goed Young Adult boek betaamt spelen niet één, niet twee maar drie (queer) romances – en vooral de consequenties die daarbij komen kijken – een vrij grote rol op de achtergrond. Maar ook actie, intrige en een diepgaande filosofische kijk op wat het betekent om een Jedi te zijn spelen een belangrijke rol. Veel van de problemen die de personages, Jedi en non-Jedi, hebben zijn tot op zekere hoogte herkenbaar voor de lezer. Zo wordt het duidelijk dat de manier waarop Ram’s leven veranderd is – van een rustig bestaan op Valo naar een oorlog tegen de Nihil en Drengir – een grote impact op zijn mentale gesteldheid heeft. Al het vechten en de dood en verderf die de Nihil in hun kielzog achterlaten laten Ram met een leeg, of soms overvol gevoel achter waar hij niet goed mee om weet te gaan. Cohmac heeft het moeilijk om als Jedi zijnde een oorlog te verantwoorden. Zeen heeft het heel moeilijk met de situatie tussen haar en Lula, en wat haar plek in het sterrenstelsel is. Ze heeft haar thuis, haar beste vriend en haar oude leven verloren toen de Nihil naar Trymant IV kwamen (haar verhaal is in The High Republic Adventures comics te lezen). Sindsdien voelt ze zich helemaal thuis bij de Padawans op Starlight Beacon, maar ze is zich er heel goed van bewust dat ze veel te oud is om in de Jedi Order opgenomen te worden, dus ook dat thuis gaat ze verliezen. En daar komt nog bovenop dat iedereen halverwege het verhaal te horen krijgt dat Starlight Beacon – hun thuis – ten onder gaat tijdens een Nihil aanval.

Older laat met Midnight Horizon zien dat een verhaal heel spannend kan zijn en kan aanvoelen alsof elke keuze grote gevolgen heeft zonder dat er tientallen doden hoeven te vallen, of Jedi non-stop met hun Lightsabers hoeven te zwaaien. Persoonlijke keuzes, strubbelingen en verlangens kunnen net zo bloedstollend zijn. Maar daarnaast kun je, vooral in de tweede helft van het boek, ook zeker de nodige actie verwachten.

Met 484 pagina’s is Midnight Horizon zeker geen kort verhaal, en de eerste helft komt wat traag op gang. In het begin draait het vooral om world building, we leren hier vooral veel over de oude en nieuwe personages en de manier waarop de samenleving van Coronet City werkt. Maar zodra de fundering gelegd is en Older een paar versnellingen omhoog schakelt komt de spanning echt op gang en zullen veel lezers moeite hebben om het boek weg te leggen.

Het Midnight Horizon verhaal heeft een passend einde en is naar mijn idee een hele goede afsluiter voor de eerste fase van The High Republic, maar het is zeker geen einde voor The High Republic. De volgende boeken zullen 150 jaar verder het verleden in duiken en Midnight Horizon geeft ons lang niet alle antwoorden op de vragen die we hebben. We blijven zelfs met nog meer vragen achter! Ik heb ontzettend genoten van alle High Republic verhalen die we het afgelopen jaar hebben mogen beleven, en ik kan niet wachten op de tweede fase die later dit jaar van start gaat. Maar Zowel The Fallen Star als Midnight Horizon hebben ervoor gezorgd dat ik ook niet kan wachten op het vervolg op de eerste fase, wanneer we dat vervolg ook gaan krijgen.

For light and life!

From the first time I saw this cover I have felt that this would be the pivotal book in this last wave of Phase One of the High Republic. Reath Silas has been one of the touchstones for me in the HR. His capacity to love books over lightsabers , his earnest heart that crushes on others so easily and his ability to draw strength from deep inside himself is one of many things I adore about him.

Reath and his master Cohmac are a huge part of this story. Reath, Ram and Jedi Masters Cohmac and Kantam are dispatched to Corellia to investigate a possible Nihil Attack.

The atmosphere on Corellia is shrouded with secrets and the local populace scoff at the thought of the Nihil daring to come to a core world. The force is with this group however as Ram and Reath connect with a young security expert, named Crash who is seeking answers about the disappearance of her employee and friend. Crash in her crew become such an integral part of this book so quickly you feel like you have known them forever. Crash really represents the boots on the ground citizens of the Republic, her brash nature and cunning manipulation of Reath and Ram quickly turns to respect as they let her take the lead in the investigation.

Prior to this novel fans reading all of the HR have watched Daniel create a wonderful community of Padawans and Masters in IDW's High Republic Adventures. The sweet energy in that series is elevated in this novel. Reath and Ram become the surprise duo that I never new I needed. They are the healing adventurous,and healing core of this story.
The humor and brotherhood between R&R makes me want to link their names in a friendship heart, scrawl Ram and Reath Forever in my favorite notebook.

Ram really gets to shine in this novel. I enjoyed the mutual admiration he and Reath have for each other and watching their friendship grow. They find themselves able to share their deepest fears, the ones they can't find the way to express to their Masters. At the darkest times in this book these early conversations become shining beacons that lead them from despair to balance in the midst of a devastating battle.

Along with the humor fans have begin to enjoy in Daniel's comic we get to see him delve deeper into the Jedi's connection to the force and their personal struggles after a year of near unstoppable war.

The past year of battles and death ways heavy on the Jedi order and especially its youngest ones. Cohmac & SY fill a duo role of Masters and parental figures to Ram and Reath as they all struggle with the overwhelming sense of dread they feel permeating their hearts .

Those that have read Fallen Star know why the Jedi are feeling such dread and it adds to the emotional impact as the story leads to its climax. Shifting POV's in the final chapters lead to a startling finale for these four Jedi equally as painful and inspiring as what we witnessed in The Fallen Star.

Daniel also does a great job bringing characters from the HR adventures into novel format. Even if you haven't read the comics you can easily connect to Zeen and Ram and feel for them as they meet their individual struggles. It is also a beautiful thing to see such a diverse set of characters and relationships in this book. We get a full background of Kantam Sy that easily elevated Them to one of my top ten characters. I was also deeply connected to how each of the Jedi dealt with fears and attachments. Daniel channels some really beautiful moments that resonate through the core tenants of the Jedi faith. For some the events of this story will shatter their connection to the order and for others the events the survive will clarify the path the will walk into the very uncertain future.

There will be a significant wait time before we visit these characters and though the ending of each of the novels in Phase One leave us with unanswered questions but I found Midnight Horizon to have one of the most satisfying endings. I'm so excited to see where the future leads us in the High Republic and what Daniel and the others have in store for us.

I’ve been enthralled with every chapter of The High Republic thus far and Midnight Horizon was no different. I’ve been a big fan of Older’s writing within the realm of Star Wars (specifically his writing for the Trail of Shadows comic series). His storytelling process is so natural and flows very well. The writing in this is mature, but for a YA novel it doesn’t feel out of place. Older is a fantastic character writer. You can tell how much love he pours into the characters he writes and puts so much thought and care into their inner turmoil, relationships with others, and relationships with themselves. This was truly a treat to read.

Having this published after The Fallen Star was and will be bittersweet as we all know the unfortunate end to our beloved Starlight Beacon. Though, it was a pleasure to see it one the last time. If you’re also following Older’s writing for The High Republic Adventures, you’re in for a treat! So much character development packed into this book and I love how nicely these characters translate from comic series to novel.

All in all, this was a beautiful book on its own and as a part of a larger picture. Thank you for the pleasure of viewing this book early!

The High Republic – Midnight Horizon, written by Daniel José Older, is the final novel entry in Phase 1, Wave III’s story, and it’s the best overall to date. Focusing on a plot around Corellia and potential Nihil forces, several Jedi characters from Older’s and other luminous authors’ works combine in a tale with new characters and tons of emotion, depth, and exploration of oneself, as there’s coming-of-age, love, and Jedi paths plumbed for some of the best character work of the era yet. The following review is largely spoiler free but there's a clearly marked spoiler section as well!

Taking place just before and eventually overlapping with the events of The High Republic – The Fallen Star and The High Republic Adventures #12, Midnight Horizon finds several Jedi from Starlight Beacon responding to a call for help from a Corellian local, a young woman in charge of a protection agency whose lost employees might have uncovered a Nihil plot deep in the Core Worlds for once. Older pulls a lot of characters from his The High Republic Adventures comic with IDW, bringing them to the forefront and expanding their roles and our understanding of them in new, exciting ways which display an impressive amount of diversity, while his new characters like Alys “Crash” Ongwa (based on Doctor Aphra scribe and all around great human being Alyssa Wong!) and her crew, friends, and family endure themselves to readers quickly. He also breathes quite a lot of life into Corellia, much like Justina Ireland did in Mission to Disaster with Dalna, from luscious, noir-like descriptions of its various locales and seedier areas the characters visit, to the various mindsets of the planet’s proud population and unique leader system. The characters and their journeys are the real meat of this tale, as while Midnight Horizon tells an important part of the Nihil’s big operations in this final wave of Phase 1's story, what the character pairings bring to their lives, building on and expanding on everything they've gone through so far, had a much bigger impact on my reading and is what I still think about long after finishing. It's the main reason this turned out to be my favorite novel of Wave III, and maybe all of Phase 1 (but I'm saving that decision for the retrospective we'll have on it later this year), and I feel like fans, whether they liked some of the recent output for the era or not, will find a lot to love here, from the depth of the book, scale of the conflict, and focus on characters. Older really has carved out a stellar, welcoming, hug-giving part of the era and Midnight Horizon basically feels like the culmination of those efforts (even with one THRA issue on the way still!).

Midnight Horizon is a bastion of LGBTQIA+ representation, something Older has been a champion of since his first Star Wars novel, Last Shot, and this feels like the current gold standard of how to do representation right alongside works like Doctor Aphra's comics and audiobook. Fans who already read The High Republic Adventures have seen Older weave a stellar, slow-burn tale of the budding relationship between Jedi Padawan Lula Talisola and Force-user and Starlight Beacon resident Zeen Mrala, with the most recent issue having them seemingly finally connect, but Midight Horizon takes it several steps further, not only seeing what happens next (while leaving room for the comic's final issue to finish the story), but also diving into each characters' internal point-of-view of dealing with the feelings for one another, though it's mainly Zeen here. It's a heartwarming series of exchanges and revelations as Zeen struggles with and figures out how she wants to proceed, considering Lula's likely Knighthood is on the way and the potential of it to push them further apart/Zeen not wanting to hold the girl she loves back; it perfectly encapsulates feelings of these sorts and shows their universal application no matter the orientation of the couple. Seriously, Older's work with these two left me breathless at times, as it's such an enthralling series of relatable thoughts and decisions while also being the forefront of queer rep in the Saga, it was hard not to want to thank the author throughout. Zeen also has many great moments in the book exploring her past as well as her own desires for the future, dealing with childhood-friend-turned-Nihil Krix Kamerat and what her place in the Force will be, Lula or not, giving her a well-rounded appearance and exploration throughout. But even more importantly to LGBTQIA+ representation is Kantam Sy's big role in the novel, the non-binary human Jedi has relatively been a background character, as they are now central to main thesis of the novel and deliver a universal message about the Force, Jedi, and love. It didn't feel like they'd been in the background all this time by the end of Midnight Horizon, as it becomes quickly clear why Lula feels so strongly towards and supported by her Master, as an even more heartwarming, but bittersweet tale of love for Kantam during their Padawan years delivers such an unforgettable and endearing message, there's something anyone with a beating heart can take away from it. In a surprising series of flashbacks, Kantam's feelings for a circus performer lead to some stellar and intriguing conversations with their master, Yoda, while their choice and adventure they go on as they come to understand their place in the Force and as a Jedi feels the most human and relatable Star Wars has ever been, and it honestly was my favorite part of the novel and managed to bring me to (happy) tears at one point. Kantam's story of their past is told to fellow Jedi Master Cohmac Vitus, a Jedi with complicated feelings of his own since his introduction in Into the Dark, and how he reacts and eventually learns from the tale leaves him as a fascinating character I hope Phase III will continue to follow, as this both feels like a natural step for him but leaves me curious what his plans are next. However, Kantam remaining in focus going forward would not only be an amazing way to help more fans see themselves in Star Wars, but would be greatly appreciated by me as they've risen as a new favorite from this novel alone.

Bookworm turned adventurer Reath Silas, also featured in Into the Dark and Out of the Shadows, still grapples with his new lot in life, now curious about what path ahead should be for him but doesn't want to burden his already burdened Master, Cohmac. Ram Jamoram, a main character introduced in Older's high-energy Wave II novel Race to Crashpoint Tower and has been in THRA ever since but in the background mostly, is struggling for an emotional core after his life has been overturned since the attack at the Republic Fair on his homeworld. Paired together, their journey to Corellia allows these two teenagers acting like teenagers for once, as before the depth of the problems on the planet become clear, the influence of someone like Crash gives the Padawans a chance to simply live life, not worried about what paths are ahead for them or how to emotionally deal with the galaxy's dangerous turn after starting off in relative peace. There's tons of fun to be had here, from their growing friendship to their goofy fun helping Crash as bodyguards despite the potential threats, making both Reath and Ram even more relatable and enjoyable characters to read, making me totally understand why everyone who meets Ram wants to protect him at all costs or why Ram would look up to Reath despite their similar age. Much was said before the initiative started the Jedi of this golden era enjoyed peace, with many characters, like Ram and Reath, telling us about never expecting to pull their lightsaber besides for training, and for once we got to see that in the initiative during a good portion of Midnight Horizon, a refreshing change of pace in a novel so expertly paced as this one. Watching these two grow up as the threats present themselves is a rewarding experience in MH, from how Ram comes into his own as his mechanical focus is vital to stopping the Nihil and Reath understands what’s next for him in the Force, and much like the other character development in MH, it all feels natural for what we already know with these characters. Plus, we get to see Ram become the one behind the infamously fun phrase, "Wizard," uttered by many centuries later, so what's not to love about this book on that alone?


Crash and her ragtag team of bodyguards, as well as the slightly complicated and twisted world around them with the politics of the planet, are also a real delight throughout Midnight Horizon. Crash’s laser-focus on her job leaves her often distracted and keeping others at bay, while the recent loss of operatives and the desperate search to find out what happened, and if they are still alive, drives much of her story. There’s some real pride for Corellia seen through Crash, which is where much of the great descriptions and intriguing details about its ‘Fathers’ political system come into play, fleshing out the conflicts while also building up Crash, her team, her relationships, and her reasons for being so involved as things get far bigger than missing employees. There’s a kinetic energy to the character, the way Older writes her, that I immediately fell in love with her and her story, as she brings chaos but directs it, molds it, and uses it to her advantage, and it’s clear why she’s so good at what she does. Her friendship with a musical starlet, whose family made music is something I both want to hear and never want to hear, and the potential between them also brews up some great relationship drama Being the same age as Ram, Reath, and Zeen, but having seen and been through far more, she brings an unique perspective to the young Padawans trying to work through their feelings and futures, putting them through situations they get to explore other avenues than their usual Jedi roles and, like I mentioned earlier, allows them all to be teenagers for a moment here and there. We previously met Crash and a good portion of her team in The High Republic Adventures Annual 2021 in a short story written by Older, but several members of the crew are fleshed out or have fun roles in the story, from the Wookiee who works with Ram or the Arcona and her way with sticking to the shadows, while her mother is another delight later in the novel. I don’t know how much room there’ll be for Crash in the upcoming Phases of the era, but I hope we’ll find more time with her and her eclectic team in other ways going forward.

The High Republic - Midnight Horizon is an absolutely joyous read by Daniel José Older, though things certain get grim as the scope of the Nihil’s attack come clear, but the way he balances the many emotions is what makes the experience so rewarding.

Daniel Jose Older continues to be my favorite High Republic author and Midnight Horizon is proof of that.
I had no idea how on earth I could recover after having my heart broken after the events of The Fallen Star but this was exactly what we needed.

We follow the adventures of Kantam Sy and Cohmac Vitus alongside Padawans Reath Silas and Ram Johmaram as they head to Corellia after we Nihil sighting and we embark on a fun spy noir thriller and finish with a show stopping action packed final act! Filled with laughs!

I absolutely enjoyed the characters journey especially being a YA novel we see the struggles and growth from our Padawans that particularly stood out to me the most. How to process stress, discover our identities and face our traumas.

I had an absolute blast on this journey and Im ready for the next phase in the High Republic. This book is filled with great character moments, Hilarious situations, fun Star wars characters and great new characters!




Full Review Spoilers Discussion will be available on our podcast :)

Daniel José Older successfully wraps up the YA run of Phase I with a fun adventure between an unexpected dyad. I appreciate the distance of events from The Fallen Star so audiences can see real-time reactions to the disaster from the general public as well as other Jedi. Additionally, the heavy connections to the IDW High Republic Adventures series was a thrill to read.

Ok wow, I am not sure where I should start with this review. To say this book was amazing would be an understatement with a conglomerate of words. It is better to say that in my humble opinion, this is the second best novel we have received in the Phase I of the High Republic initiative and the best novel in Wave 3.

Ultimately, the heart of this book is relationships. The book shows the most human moments of the High Republic era so far. The characters truly come to life on the page. It is as if we are witnessing an organic relationship unfold. It feels more like a documentary of past events than a book. We are there to see these events happen. The writing is vivid, and jumps off of the page right into your face.

One of these main organic relationships(and there are a lot), is Lula and Zeen. Comic readers of IDW's Star Wars The High Republic Adventures will know that these two have grown close over the months, and truly fallen in love with each other. Yet Lula is a Jedi, forbidden to marry, and Zeen's place within the order is fluid, unknown, as she is not a Jedi nor a Padawan, but a force sensitive individual who often accompanies the Padawans of Starlight Beacon as they go on their missions. They become torn, as Lula is on the cusp of becoming a Jedi Knight, and the reality of what the future holds for their relationship comes to a head. Daniel Jose Older threads the needle here incredibly well, navigating the relationship between the two very well. Their love for each other, but also their qualms about whether this is sustainable, given what the future might have in store for them. It is left on a very open note, for reasons I will not delve into, because...well major spoilers!

Another relationship (that really shocked me), was the relationship between Jedi Masters Kantam Sy and Cohmac Vitus. Kantam Sy has sort of been this guy who exists, and whose character was developed, but not too much beneath the surface. This book corrects that, and we dive into the character of Kantam Sy. Their past within the order is explained, including his time as a Padawan for the elderly and well known and respected Master Yoda. Their own conflicting experiences within the order seem to mirror their Padawan's, but for nearly all of the book the two are separated, which is ok because the story of their past isn't for Lula to learn from. In the end, it helps guide Cohmac. Cohmac has often felt conflicted within the order since the events twenty five years ago, when he went on the mission with his good friend, now Wayseeker Orla Jareni, and their masters to resolve the Eiram-E'ronoh crisis. With all the destruction by the Nihil truly beating Cohmac to a pulp internally, that internal conflict rises to the surface, as the book progresses. His own trauma, and how he reacts to it, is only exacerbated by the feeling of destruction within the force that all the Jedi on Corellia feel as they deal with the Nihil conflict on the planet, the imminent destruction of the central star of hope within the Outer Rim, Starlight Beacon. It falls to Kantam to make sure, that Cohmac tempers his violence against the Nihil, even though they are both experiencing potential losses on Starlight. For Cohmac, his best friend Orla, gone, united in the great song of the force. For Kantam, their Padawan, Lula, whose fate remains unknown. In the end, all of this leaves Cohmac Vitus to make a decision, a decision with ripple effects that is bound to drive everyone insane with theories.

The last of the big Jedi relationships within this book is the new formed wizard bromance between Padawans Ram Jomaram and Reath Silas. Their relationship is definitely the most sweet of the big three. Reath Silas is a lovable Padawan who has spent the previous two books(Into the Dark and Out of the Shadows) a bit lost, tired of getting shot at and beat up by the Nihil, and exhausted from having crushes go wrong(poor Reath). Meanwhile, Ram is still reeling from the events from Race to Crashpoint tower. There are things from Valo that still haunt him. Reath really serves as a guide for Ram in the book, helping him deal with his trauma, with the cacophony of feelings going through his mind, and how to always remain balanced, no matter how unbalanced his emotions might be. Yet just because Reath serves as Ram's guide, does not mean that Ram does not help Reath. Quite the opposite in fact. He is able to provide a mindset that Reath does not have, and one that helps the two of them throughout. It is also a sweet look at what Jedi Master Reath Silas might look like with a Padawan of his own.

Now, to take a glimpse at the general plot. The plot is extremely enjoyable to read through and experience. With how it is built and structured, it is done quite well. Midnight Horizon is 486 pages in length, yet it does sort of just breeze right by. The book goes and goes and never stops. There were moments in the previous two YA novels that dragged on for too long, but Midnight Horizon does not suffer from that, which is odd because it is the longest of the three YA novels for Phase I. For those who are concerned about how the cover or teasers gave anything away, I will simply say things are not as obvious as they seem. This is a book rich with surprises, plots, and intrigue. Within the city of Corellia, there are numerous powers at work controlling various systems in the government and other sectors. Older does a great job at establishing how Corellia works and operates throughout the novel. The overnight creation of a star in the latter part of the novel was something incredibly ridiculous, incredibly hilarious, and came off as so Corellian, that you have to laugh and applaud.

I would be remiss if I did not mention two standout non-Jedi characters from the book whom I fell in love with. Alys 'Crash' Ongwa, and Svi'no. We previously met Crash in The High Republic Adventures Annual 2021( I do recommend reading the Annual before reading the book if possible. It is not necessary at all, but it is a nice introduction to Crash and gives a visual representation to some of the characters in Midnight Horizon). Here, she is still the lovable caf obsessed security organizer, which brings me to another point about Corellia. It is so interesting how the bodyguard business works there. The rivalries, the plotting between the two main companies, and how one tries to screw over the other. It was a lot more developed than I thought it would be. It provides another level of intrigue to the story. Back to Svi'no, she is the most popular singer on Corellia, and Crash's bestest friend, with a possible romantic relationship in a very grey area. They have known each other since they were younger, and are very close. She helps Crash grow immensely throughout the book, being her main anchor. She helps Crash see her faults, such as when Crash withholds information from her own team, out of fear of betrayal. Svi'no helps Crash work through this, and realize that they are all family, and they are trustworthy. It is just one of the ways that the two grow together, and I won't mention the others as I don't want to mention too many spoilers in this review. For that same reason, I am not going to say anything about the Nihil plot on Corellia other than it is cunning and really well done by Daniel Jose Older.

When all is said and done, Midnight Horizon is a standout book not only for this wave, but for the whole phase as a whole. It is a book that I would consider a must read for any sort of High Republic fan. The darkness of midnight is truly on the horizon for these Jedi, and whether they will ever emerge to face the light once again remains to be seen. One has to hope that the light of the Jedi will return, but the quest will be full of trials to get there.

Thank you to Disney Publishing for providing me with a review copy of this book.

The YA High Republic Books are consistently my favorite in this new era. Older's newest entry is no exception. edi Reath and Ram feature here, along with their masters Cohmac and Sy. We also meet a fun new character Crash, who the Padawans team up with to go undercover to investigate the elite on Corellia. This book as a blast and made for a quick and satisfying read. The plot always held my attention and I loved delving deeper into Reath and Ram, and enjoyed Crash as well.
Events of this book are concurrent with Fallen Star, for those questioning reading order.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Midnight Horizon by Daniel José Older. Review copy wonderfully provided by @disneybooks .

The last book of The High Republic's wave 3 runs concurrently with the events of The Fallen Star. This book finds the reader following Padawans Reath Silas and Ram Jomaram as they accompany masters Cohmac Vitus and Kantam Sy to investigate reports that the Nihil have surfaced on the core world of Correllia. What follows is the most surprising, uplifting and downright fun tale of mental health and identity.

I'll be honest I've never been a huge fan of Daniel José Older's works, finding his characters a bit too brash and his prose a little over familiar but here everything just works. What before might have felt obnoxious here feels electric. The way the story moves and the way the characters interact feels so vital and full of life. It's infectious and you instantly feel drawn into their adventure.

The inner turmoil that each character is facing are varied and treated with utmost respect. For the first time reading Star Wars I recognised myself and my friends/family in these pages. This may sound a little twee but I can't understate how affecting it truly was. The whole expert was disarming in the best way. Ram and Reath are the adorable and earnest beating heart of the book but I believe the real breakout stars here are Kantam Sy and new character Crash. Kantam is one of DJO's High Republic Adventures characters but the first time they've been brought into the spotlight and their story is wonderful and moving. Crash is a the embodiment of the electricity I mentioned earlier and I know she's going to become a fan favourite.

One word of warning though, to get most out of this book I strongly recommend you read both the High Republic Adventures comics and Race to Crashpoint Tower. This directly carries on threads from those works that if you haven't read them are going to go right over your head.

I love street level Star Wars stories. Two of my favourite SW books are the Correllia set Most Wanted and the Galaxy's Edge novel A Crash of Fate. All three of these stories have the same feeling of a Dickensian caper full of nefarious misdeeds.

This book is a ride and a half! The Nihil have been sighted on Corellia, and it's up to Reath Silas, Ram Jomaram, Kantam Sy, and Cohmac Vitus to find and stop them. It's an adrenaline-fueled joyride from the start with an absolutely stellar third act.
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Daniel José Older has a very distinctive and informal writing style that aways takes me a little bit of time to settle in to. Frequently, his Star Wars novels read like comic books, which feels pretty on-brand for the man behind much of the High Republic Adventures. The prose can be a little off-putting early in the book, but don't let that stop you.
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The characters go through a lot, not as much as characters tend to go through in the adult novels, but still a lot. The novel handled the ways in which we process trauma, stress, and finding our identities with such grace, and it was really beautiful seeing the characters grow as the novel progresses.
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A flashback plot is introduced in this book that features Kantam Sy, who is possibly one of my favorite High Republic Jedi. In all honesty, I love them and I found myself regularly glancing ahead because I wanted more of their backstory. (I would also like to reiterate that I am so so so happy about the nonbinary representation here.)
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I would say that I did have some issues with early pacing; a lot seemed to happen really fast, and Older does have a lot of comic callbacks, that make it feel like book-only readers are missing something, but the final act is enough to make up for any of this. Honestly, it's that good.
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I gave this one a solid 4.25/5. Pick it up as soon as you can, and enjoy! We are all the Republic!

After finishing this book, I can confidently say it is my new favorite Star Wars book. It kept me so invested from start to finish, and some of the things that happened genuinely surprised me and left me thinking about them for days after.

The book itself is a perfect blend of romance, action, and comedy. There are some romantic scenes that literally made me cry with how beautiful and real they are, and the fight scenes had me on the edge of my seat and unable to put the book down. I'm not typically the biggest fan of reading long fight scenes, but the action sequences in this book were amazing. They combined just the right amount of action, dialogue, and character moments. It also had me laughing out loud at several points.

The character work in this book is phenomenal. Characters I simply liked going into it now occupy huge spaces in my brain. This was the perfect conclusion to these characters' stories and also left me even more excited to read the final issue of High Republic Adventures.

Of course, this is the High Republic, so it is also a very emotional book. Every emotional event or conversation was so perfectly written and had me, as a reader, in tears for a good portion of the book. However, it also wasn’t too emotionally draining. Sad moments were well balanced with fun ones, and the overall tone of the book was very hopeful despite the bad things happening in the galaxy and with the Jedi.

Overall incredible writing from Daniel José Older and a perfect way to wrap up the novels for this phase.

Midnight Horizon, written by Daniel José Older, is the YA novel of The High Republic Wave 3, and with that the last novel of Phase 1 of The High Republic. It will be released on February 1st; I was able to read an early review copy of it for the Jedipedia-Podcast – thank you for that to the Disney/Lucasfilm publishing team!
Daniel José Older had only written one previous High Republic novel: The middle grade novel Race to Crashpoint Tower, which unfortunately was my least THR novel so far. On the other hand, I deeply love both of his comic series, IDW’s The High Republic Adventures and Marvel’s Trail of Shadows. So I went into Midnight Horizon with mixed expectations. It is safe to say: Midnight Horizon exceeded not just my expectations, but any expectations you might have. I deeply, deeply love the book.
DJO manages to juggle multiple main characters, none of which felt less important or less interesting than the others. All of them are searching for some kind of path or dealing with an identity crisis of sorts: Reath (one of my favorite characters) struggles with how to know which path is the right path. Ram is searching for balance in a world that has shifted rapidly since Valo. Zeen is searching for the path that’s best for both herself and those close to her heart (and let me just quickly throw in: her POVs are one of my favorite parts in the novel). Alys “Crash” Ongwa, inspired by Doctor Aphra (2020) author Alyssa “Crash” Wong, is searching for the right way both emotionally and in business. Cohmac Vitus is searching for the right way to deal with war as a Jedi. And finally Kantam Sy (whom I did not expect to love THAT much in this novel) has an amazing story which I don’t want to spoil anything about. There is one more character, who is in the novel only for short parts but serves as an emotional anchor in some of my favorite emotional scenes in the novel – once again, I do not wish to spoil their identity for you.
For all of those characters, DJO manages to create so many small relatable moments and thoughts – even I (who usually doesn’t highlight quotes at all) highlighted many many quotes throughout this book. The struggles each character is facing are deeply human and thus incredibly relatable. I’m not sure I have ever read a book where there were so many moments with so many different characters that made me go “Oh I know that feeling” or “I remember having the exact same though when I was that age”.
In general, the book is overflowing with love, both romantically and platonically, even for characters I didn’t expect this from. DJO manages to keep the spirit of the book uplifting and hopeful until the end, despite the story going to some dark places. This is one thing, that clearly differentiates Midnight Horizon from Claudia Gray’s The Fallen Star: While both deal with dark events and have their crushing moments, Midnight Horizon ends in a way that leaves you looking forward to what’s to come, instead of completely crushed and without hope. But Midnight Horizon achieves one even more important thing that The Fallen Star didn’t: It is a satisfying end to Phase 1 of The High Republic. Since Phase 2 is going 150 years in the past, we will not see these characters for probably over 2 years. Midnight Horizon feels more like a temporary end, and less like the middle piece The Fallen Star fealt like.
There is one small negative point I have to raise: While I loved Midnight Horizon from the start, it didn’t grip me and force me to continue reading until about 1/3 into the book. The character introductions are great, the story set-up is great, but it is not as thrilling in the beginning as it is in the end. Now I want to stress that this is not a big problem of the book, but rather something to be expected when dealing with so many different characters. Nevertheless, it stopped me from giving the book a full 10/10 rating.
In conclusion, I loved this book deeply and think everybody even mildly invested in The High Republic needs to read it. DJO manages to connect deeply human emotions with a thrilling space opera story in maybe the best Star Wars YA novel to date. My final rating is 9.5/10 points (5/5 stars on the Goodreads scale).

Midnight Horizon is the final book of the first wave of the High Republic publishing initiative. Daniel José Older crafted a narrative of friendship in the face of uncertainty, resolve in the face of conflict and balance in the face of chaos. Our main characters are off to face a suspected Nihil threat in the core world of Corellia and they meet new and interesting people along the way.

Older writes young characters with a vibrance unmatched, in my opinion. A book with such an ominous title shouldn't be as fun or funny. And the ending is the stuff of legend!

Midnight Horizon is a fantastic book that explores what it means to grow and discover yourself in a tumultuous environment. I feel it is a must read for fans of the era and Star Wars in general

Highly recommended. Definitely WIZARD!

Midnight Horizon by Daniel Jose Older is by far my favorite Star Wars book. This story follows many characters that we have come to love in the High Republic series, however, Older does a wonderful job with writing this to be a standalone narrative for anybody who does not wish to take on a full series. The new characters introduced in Midnight Horizon have fully fleshed out characters with their own arcs and struggles; characters like Crash add a much-needed humorous element to ground such a fast-paced narrative that deals with a lot of trauma. In fact, everything about this book is very well balanced from the pacing to the light vs dark moments, and with the emotional journey that it takes the reader on. There are amazing relationships that flow naturally and really make this story special to read. On top of being simply a well-written story with interesting and relatable characters, Midnight Horizon gets an A Plus on the amount of phenomenal queer representation. This book is so full of love and emotion and explores how teenagers going through traumatic events deal with all of those things in healthy ways. I can't say enough good things about Midnight Horizon, it was such a fun, emotional, stressful, heartwarming (and heartwrenching), WIZARD, read. Definitely a book you do not want to miss out on.

This is a concise, spoiler-free review. For my full, spoiler-filled review, listen to my podcast, Fulcrum Transmissions. On Wednesday 2/2, we are interviewing Daniel Jose Older about this book, and the following Monday 2/7 we will have an analysis episode. My full Goodreads review will be out on publication day 2/1.

How do you bolster readers enough to stop weeping over their faves and move forward? Obviously there’s no easy answer to that question, but one way might be to give them a compelling, slow-burn mystery ride, which is exactly what Daniel José Older has done with Midnight Horizon.

Set concurrently with both Mission to Disaster and The Fallen Star, the story follows Jedi Masters Cohmac Vitus and Kantam Sy, as well as Padawans Reath Silas and Ram Jomaram on a mission to the Core world of Corellia. Ostensibly, they are going to simply investigate a mysterious message that was sent their way. But once they meet local business owner, security expert, and slightly chaotic teenager Alys “Crash” Ongwa, they find themselves embroiled in a much bigger plot to destabilize the Republic than they had initially realized.

With Midnight Horizon, Older brings his signature effortless humour to what might otherwise have been a very heavy, stressful adventure. After the non-stop (understandeable) tension of The Fallen Star, it made for a nice change of pace to have these moments of levity, even while at the back of your mind, you know everything is not going to be alright for the massive cast of characters we’ve come to love over the last year and a bit. 

The central mystery is a delightful slow-burn. It shares the same kind of film-noir vibe as the High Republic’s Trail of Shadows comic series (also by Older), as both are set largely in urban environments and touch on many genre staples that we haven’t seen much of in this era, such as a criminal underworld, an urban nightlife, etc. It mixes expected Star Wars elements, such as the Nihil and the criminal underworld, with a subtle but scathing commentary on the lengths some will go to in order to justify their xenophobia. 

And yet somehow, with several threads of mystery flying about at any given moment, Older found time to include not one but three love stories. Three queer love stories at that, none of which rely on tragic endings that force the characters to grow. While one is told through flashback, the other two are set in the present day and are full of hope that these crazy kids might just find a way to make it work in an unforgiving galaxy. Colour my sappy romantic heart absolutely delighted. Maybe not all Star Wars is tragic romance after all.

I mentioned above that this novel is set concurrently to the two others being released in Wave 3. This is a slight departure from previous waves, where the Young Adult novel was set a few months after the key event, and featured the characters processing whatever had just happened. While we’re unlikely to get those answers for quite some time, Midnight Horizon provides the perfect venue for readers to process it, as tucked in amidst the mystery and the romance is a remarkably sincere treatise on grief and loss and the various ways in which we all process it. It’s catharsis wrapped in an adventurous package.

With only a few comic issues and one manga volume left in the first wave, Midnight Horizon feels like the perfect grand finale to Phase One, ending on a perfect lead in to the next phase of stories coming this October.

Midnight Horizon is out February 1, 2022. Special thanks to Disney Books for the advance copy for review purposes.

Midnight Horizon, by Daniel Jose Older, is the third YA novel set during the time of The High Republic. Like its predecessor, Out of the Shadows, I feel that in order to enjoy this book to the fullest you need to have read everything that came before. It incorporates a lot of characters from both the comics lines and other YA novels. I personally have not read The High Republic Adventures and for me, certain characters felt like they were missing something though I imagine if you have read those you see nothing wrong.

With that being said this story also introduces some new characters that instantly grab you and pull you in. But seeing some of our old friends again is also a real treat. This is the third book to have Reith as a character and from his introduction I have just loved him. Seeing him go on this journey throughout these three books has been just amazing. He’s been written but three different authors yet they all manage to capture who he is. I think that’s something that’s truly wonderful about these books and how multiple authors can carry the same character, capture what makes them special, and even add something new.

I’ll admit I found the first third of the book to be moving a little slow. Maybe it was because of the quick-paced action of The Fallen Star and this was such a different sort of frontier. Or maybe it just took me some more time to get to know the High Republic Adventuress characters. But by the middle I was hooked and towards the end, I just couldn’t put it down. The story is centered on Corella where there has been a suspected Nihil attack and Jedi from Starlight are sent to investigate. It takes place prior and then parallels with The Fallen Star so there is some overlap with certain events which is really cool. And returning to Corella is also fun and exciting.

This book is another great installment in the High Republic series that continues the story of some of our favorite characters and feels like it could be the beginning of something much bigger.

(Review will be published here on release date: https://www.instagram.com/connors_bookshelf/)

Midnight Horizon is the newest young adult High Republic novel and serves as a conclusion (in Phase 1) for most of the young Jedi characters we were introduced to in the HR Adventures comic. Daniel Jose Older serves as the author for this novel, and overall I think he did a pretty good job embedding lightheartedness in a book with pretty dire circumstances. I'm not the biggest fan of Older's writing style, and this novel didn't really change my mind in that regard; however, Older is able to shine in other aspects, such as character development and story, which helped elevate my interest. In terms of the plot, I wasn't really sure where the book was going for the first half, but as things unfolded everything clicked in my mind and the rest of the novel was a blast. The ending was especially surprising, and has me very excited to see the future of these characters. Overall, this was a solid read, and some of Older's best work in the High Republic era so far.