This is an unsung gem of an anthology! I waited specifically to listen to the audiobook for Sam Witwer's performance as Maul, and I was not disappointed. Some of my favorite Star Wars audiobook experiences are with the anthologies like the Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark and the FACPOV anthologies, so it was great to have one that included stories from the High Republic and the sequel era as well. People who don't normally pick up the middle grade novels are really missing out, too - this connected so well with many other SW books and comics.

Also.... (slight spoiler alert) was that a hint of something romantic in the Luke Skywalker story? As a queer Star Wars fan I've always read Luke as gay, but this story definitely had some things in it that no straight man I've ever met would think about another man. Oh, Luke, his eyes and hair are pretty? He smells nice? I was jumping up and down with my jaw on the floor. Shout out to gay Luke Skywalker, king of the Chanel Boots.

Overall, this is a great anthology to pick up for a kid or an adult just wanting some Star Wars, but also an essential for a Star Wars fan to read!

Two of the most predominant factions of Star Wars storytelling, the Jedi and the Sith are featured in a new collection of ten original tales. Stories of Jedi and Sith—very much like its inherent predecessor, The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark—showcases some of the most popular characters of the franchise, from Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to Darth Maul and Emperor Palpatine. In this anthology, we have a stellar roster of new and veteran Star Wars authors alongside a gorgeous cover and interior spot artwork by Jake Bartok, a combination that makes Stories of Jedi and Sith the perfect collectible for the fans’ bookshelves.

Each tale within Stories of Jedi and Sith dives into the characterization of a featured hero or villain, sometimes in and sometimes out of the character’s perspective—spanning from the High Republic era all the way to the sequel trilogy. Although they don’t really impact the canon timeline at all, the stories provide a good amount of character development, especially when it comes to dealing with ghosts of the past or what it means to be a Jedi or Sith. However, some readers might argue that most of these stories might feel a bit inconclusive—each ending not as satisfying as you would hope. This is probably due to the nature of the Star Wars storyline reserving these crucial characters for larger stories within the canon timeline.

Having said that, Stories of Jedi and Sith contain some really fun stories, including What a Jedi Makes, an unexpected tale of a young boy who desperately wants to join the Jedi Order during the High Republic era, by author Michael Kogge; Worthless, by Delilah S. Dawson, featuring everyone’s favorite assassin of the Sith, Asajj Ventress being forced to work with a clone trooper for survival; and The Ghosts of Maul, by Michael Moreci, a story of Maul entering a mysterious Sith castle that could easily enter the Star Wars horror hall of fame.

Stories of Jedi and Sith is yet another celebration of everyone’s favorite heroes and villains, and the physical book (especially the Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2022 special edition) is an absolute must for book collectors. What are your favorite stories of Jedi and Sith? Make sure to let us know on our social media channels.

Stories of Jedi and Sith is the latest release by Disney publishing and it collects ten original short stories, each focusing on different Jedi or Sith characters throughout the timeline and each written by a different author. Unlike the From A Certain Point of View collections, the stories follow a similar, easy reading style aimed at younger readers. They're not quite middle grade but I also wouldnt categorise them as YA, they're somewhere between the two. If you ever read the Clone Wars collection, Stories of Light and Dark you will know what to expect as this seems to be a follow-up of sorts, in format and presentation rather than content as this has definitely has a lot more original material than it's predecessor.

The stories are consistently entertaining, with the harshest criticism one could level at the weaker ones is that they are entertaining but inconsequential. The Qui-Gon story "Resolve" by Alex Segura is one such story, as whilst it has it's moments it ultimately seems aimless and I believe Segura has struggled to capture Qui-Gon's voice and character successfully. I anticipate readers questioning the point of Delilah S Dawson's Ventress story "Worthless" but I'm going to preemptively argue in it's defense by naming it as a wonderful character study that strongly indicates a deep understanding of the character. I'd love to see Dawson tackle a full length Ventress novel someday as it's clear she has a lot of affection for the character (please write a third Vi book first though!).

The stories that really worked for me were the ones from the perspective of original, younger characters that were experiencing the legends of these god-like figures first hand. It really added to the mythos that surrounds the Jedi and gave us a glimpse as to how the regular folks in the galaxy view them. The very first story "What a Jedi Makes" by Star Wars veteran Michael Kogge is particularly wonderful, following a young and destitute street kid from the lower levels of Coruscant during the High Republic. He dreams of being a Jedi and is determined to overcome his status and join their ranks. Stories like this are what I look for in collections like these as they're not tales that could sustain a full length novel but they add a much needed colour to the universe and a shift in perspective. Another standout is "The Eye of the Beholder" by Sarwat Chadda. This follows two children, stranded and dealing with the horrors of war and impossible survival and I found it genuinely affecting. Chadda manages to effectively convey the sheer terror the regular citizens of the galaxy go through and the suffering they face through the machinations of Palpatine. It also shows what the Jedi, at their best, mean to these people. I'd love to see more Star Wars stories from Chadda in the future.

"Masters" by Tessa Gratton seems like it would be a great fit for the inevitable upcoming Return of the Jedi: From a Certain Point of View as it shows Emperor Palpatine, reflecting back on his rivalry and battle with Yoda during Revenge of the Sith, as he is poised to enact his secret plan against the Rebellion in the throne room of the second Death Star. This story is worth noting as it adds a lovely unexpected bit of canon lore that will no doubt get fans reeling.

The last story I'd like to highlight is actually the last story in the collection, "Through the Turbulence" by Roseanne A. Brown. As I turned the page and realised that it was a Rey story I actually gasped. Until that moment I hadn't realised how starved of Sequel era content we have been in the last couple of years. It was so good to read about Rey and Poe again and I sincerely hope we get more stories set in this era. The story itself was slight but a dam. good time. Please Lucasfilm, greenlight some more Sequel era books!

Each story has an accompanying illustration by the incredible Jake Bartok and the book is almost worth it for these alone. He's a master of his craft and I look forward to seeing what Star Wars projects he gets to work on next.

Stories of Jedi and Sith is een korte verhalen anthology gericht op jongere lezers, maar het is wat mij betreft een geweldig boek voor fans van alle leeftijden. Zoals de titel doet vermoeden zijn het verhalen die zich richten op personages aan beide kanten van de Force. Nieuwe en bekende auteurs Michael Kogge, Alex Segura, Sarwat Chadda, Karen Strong, Delilah S. Dawson, Michael Moreci, Vera Strange, Sam Maggs, Tessa Gratton en Roseanne A. Brown schrijven over personages als Yoda, Luke, Rey, Maul, Darth Vader en Barriss Offee, in tien verhalen die zich over de hele Star Wars tijdlijn afspelen, van het High Republic tijdperk tot tijdens de Sequel Trilogie.
In What a Jedi Makes van Michael Kogge volgen we een jonge zwerver op Coruscant die niets liver wil dan zich bij de Jedi Order aansluiten, ondanks dat hij niet Force sensitief is. We volgen hem tijdens een avontuur dat hem in contact brengt met en Jedi Initiate en Master Yoda.
Resolve van Alex Segura vertelt het verhaal van Qui-Gon Jinn die afreist naar de planeet Desinta waar hij opzoek gaat naar een ontvoerde Padawan.
In The Eye of the Beholder van Sarwar Chadda volgen we Zohra en haar broer Dumuz op Devalok, een wereld die door de Seperatisten onder vuur ligt. Hun ouders zijn er dagen geleden op uitgetrokken om voorraden te gaan zoeken in de geruïneerde stad, maar zijn niet meer teruggekeerd. Zohra en Dumuz staan er alleen voor tot ze gevonden worden door twee Jedi die hun best gaan doen de twee in veiligheid te brengen.
In A Jedi’s Duty van Karen Strong volgen we Barriss Offee aan het begin van de oorlog. Barriss is op Coruscant aan het herstellen van het gevecht op Geonosis en vraagt zich hier al af of de Jedi er goed aan doen zich in de oorlog te mengen. Barriss is een genezer en wil niets weten van het geweld waar de Jedi door de oorlog mee geconfronteerd worden.
In Worthless van Delila S. Dawson volgen we Asajj Ventress die van Dooku de opdracht gekregen heeft een eeuwen oud fort terug te winnen van de Republic krijgsmacht. Als ze tijdens het gevecht Obi-Wan ziet verschijnen verlaat ze haar post en gaat achter hem aan. Maar ze komt per ongeluk, samen met een clone trooper in een ondergrondse catacombe vast te zitten, en moet met hem samenwerken om uit de ondergrondse hel te ontsnappen.
In The Ghosts of Maul van Michael Moreci volgen we Maul die zich op de planeet Damanos bevindt, een planeet die ooit vol leven was, maar nu enkel grijs en stoffig is door een donkere kracht die de planeet helemaal geconsumeerd heeft. Maul baant zich een weg door een oud kasteel opzoek naar een mythisch artefact. Maar in het kasteel wordt hij geconfronteerd door ”geesten” uit zijn verleden.
Blood Moon Uprising van Vera Strange vertelt het verhaal van Darth Vader die naar de jungle maan Tsukimitsurin afreist waar een raffinaderij gesaboteerd wordt door rebellen. Vader trekt door de jungle om de rebellen op te sporen en uit te schakelen.
Luke on the Bright Side van Sam Maggs speelt zich af in Echo Base, waar tijdens tunnelwerkzaamheden, Luke Skywalker en Sergeant Reyé Hollis vast komen te zitten in een ingestorte ijstunnel. Reyé heeft niets met de Force en mag Luke niet zozeer, maar moet toch op hem vertrouwen om een weg uit de tunnel te vinden.
In Masters van Tessa Gratton spenderen we wat tijd in het hoofd van Sheev Palpatine, gedurende de slag bij Endor, maar ook in herinneringen tijdens zijn gevecht met Yoda, twee decennia eerder. We leren wat meer over wat hij van Yoda vindt, waarom hij nooit veel moeite gestoken heeft in een zoektocht naar de kleine Jedi meester, en in hoeverre hij wist dat Yoda nog in leven was.
In Through the Turbulence van Roseanne A. Brown volgen we Rey en Poe die het tussen The Last Jedi en The Rise of Skywalker niet bijzonder goed met elkaar kunnen vinden maar die er door Leia op uit gestuurd zijn om voorraden bij te vullen. Maar wanneer BB-8 ontvoerd wordt moeten ze samenwerken om hem terug te krijgen en zichzelf in veiligheid te brengen.
De verhalen zijn allemaal vrij kort – de meeste zullen voor veel mensen in een half uurtje te lezen zijn – maar zijn wat mij betreft stuk voor stuk erg leuk en zetten je allemaal aan het denken. Het zijn allemaal verhalen die niet zozeer langer uitgewerkt hoeven te worden, in de gemiddeld 35 pagina’s per stuk komen ze allemaal uitstekend tot hun recht en geven ons een nieuw perspectief op veel bekende personages.
De diepe duik in de twijfels van Barriss geven haar uiteindelijke acties in The Clone Wars wat meer diepgang. De kijk die we op de oorlog en de Jedi krijgen door de ogen van Zohra en Dumuz is fascinerend. Tot dusver zagen we de oorlog vooral vanuit het perspectief van de Jedi, die op een locatie aankwamen, de Separatisten bevochten en weer vertrokken. Maar in Chadda’s verhaal zien we hoe het is om in een stad te leven die belaagd wordt door een vijand, hoe beangstigend het voor onschuldige inwoners is die in ruïnes proberen te overleven en niet weten hoe hun directe toekomst er uit gaat zien, en of ze die überhaupt hebben.
Alle verhalen worden voorafgegaan aan een illustratie van de hand van Jake Bartok. Hij presenteert elk hoofdpersoon in een prachtige zwart-wit interpretatie in een rustige maar gedetailleerde stijl.
Het mooie aan verhalenbundels als deze is dat er voor iedereen wel wat wils tussen zit, en omdat de verhalen lekker kort zijn vlieg je er doorheen, of kun je het juist lekker rustig aan doen door af en toe tussendoor een enkel verhaal te lezen.
Het boek is gericht op jonge lezers, in het opzicht dat de teksten dus vrij eenvoudig zijn en er vrij weinig tekst op een pagina staat. Maar laat dat je niet het idee geven dat het nietszeggende kinderverhalen zijn waar een volwassen fan niets uit kan halen. De verhalen hebben ontzettend veel diepgang en geven de lezer in veel gevallen een frisse nieuwe kijk op personages die we al decennia kennen en de meeste hebben mij persoonlijk aan het denken gezet op een manier die ik niet verwacht had voor ik aan het boek begon.
Wat mij betreft is Stories of Jedi and Sith zeker een aanrader.

I enjoyed the Stories of Jedi and Sith anthology as the tales are original shorts that provide context before leading into a major point that we’re familiar with. All of the stories are well-written and there is definitely potential for full-length novels featuring some of the characters, notably Barriss and Ventress. Stories of Jedi and Sith is an enjoyable, quick read and great for Star Wars fans of all ages as well as fans of all eras, including the High Republic.

Stories of Jedi and Sith is middle grade anthology edited by Jennifer Heddle (gotta mention editors y'all). The book contains ten stories, written by ten different authors, with each centering on one or two characters. Unlike the previous Clone Wars anthology which has similarities to this one, this does not have one shared event or time period. These are more similar to the FACPOV books than the anthology books we have gotten by George Mann in years past (with the addition of Cavan Scott for Life Day Treasury). This spans all different eras of Star Wars. I'll write a paragraph or so on each story, and then some final thoughts.

What A Jedi Makes by Michael Kogge is the sole High Republic tale, so I might be slightly biased in my assessment of it. Kogge gives us a good story here, one of my favorites in this book. It's always nice to see more High Republic Yoda. My one gripe with the story is that it does not radiate High Republic. They way Kogge describes Coruscant compared to other writers who have written in this era, is a mixed bag. If not for saying this took place in The High Republic era, I probably would have never made that connection. Did love that Avar cameo though!

Resolve by Alex Segura is the story that centers around Qui-Gon Jinn. I know we have not gotten a whole lot of Qui-Gon POV's, but I found the way he was written here to be very annoying, which might be because of how Qui-Gon feels. He is very annoyed to be on this mission, and it radiates. The story itself I found to be...meh at best. He was sent on this mission by the council, and clings to this quote by Mace reminding him of his duty on the mission, without getting any clear resolution on why Mace said it. One of the weaker stories of the bunch.

The Eye Of The Beholder by Sarwat Chadda has a cool title, just gotta start out with that. It is a story about Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker in the depths of the Clone Wars that centers around the POV of a sister, who is trying to protect her brother as the Separatists try to destroy their planet. Something that Chadda writers very well is the destruction that the planet is going through. It is harrowing, especially in the MG genre. The affects of war is horrifying. We fear the character's fear, how they are clinging to hope even though everything is going against them. The ending is a bit to cliché that everything is going to be ok, but the story itself is very well written, plot aside.

A Jedi's Duty by Karen Strong is the story centering around Barriss Offee. It is one of the weaker stories we have gotten, simply because of the resolution it give us. It feels like a story that is drifting a bit, with no clear place where it is going. The way Barriss is written is serviceable, and she has some insightful interactions with those around her. Little seeds are planted for her eventual turn, becoming disillusioned about the war. Barriss is a tricky character to nail, both character wise, and putting them into a story. Strong does a decent job, but it could have been better.

Worthless by Delilah S. Dawson is amazing, but did we honestly expect anything else from Dawson? Asajj Ventress has been written by a lot of people in publishing (Christine Golden, Mike Chen, and Cavan Scott are the first that come to mind), and luckily she has always been written amazingly. Dawson continues that trend. Hunting down on Kenobi on some forrest ridden planet, she ends up falling, concussing herself and breaking her leg. With the help with a clone, who also found himself down there, they intend to escape. While the story does feel like it goes on for a bit too long, the way Dawson writes Ventress and Doc(the clone) makes it so worth it, for their banter alone. A must read.

The Ghosts of Maul by Michael Moreci centers around Darth Maul (no surprise). It is probably the weakest story in the bunch, or one of the weakest. Moreci writes Maul very well, both his dialogue and inner thoughts, but that does save this story from a sub-par plot. My thoughts coming away from this story was...what was its purpose. Basically just reinforcing that Maul wants revenge, but other than that...nothing.

Blood Moon Uprising by Vera Strange is another epic title for a story featuring an epic character, Darth Vader. Strange nails Vader. His dialogue feels like it was ripped right from the movies, and now Kenobi. This deserves massive applause considering how hard it is to nail the voice of Vader. Strange though was given the impossible task, having Vader be all badass like this, and still lose, giving hope to the Rebels on the planet. As we saw in Rogue One, a band of rebels are no match for Lord Vader. For this I cannot fault Strange. She did an amazing job, all things considered.

Luke On The Bright Side by Sam Maggs is about Luke Skywalker, if that was not obvious. Not a whole lot of Luke characters in Star Wars. Its premise is actually quite interesting. We learn a bit about how and why the Rebels settled on Hoth, and the actual amount of worth required. Those caves did not excavate themselves! It is a fun story, but it did get a little hard to follow at times. As in Maggs not only slingshots from past to present, but also between two different characters, and those transitions are pretty seamless, a positive and negative here. A middle of the pack story here.

Masters by Tessa Gratton is probably my favorite tale we got. Set in the background of Return of the Jedi, it is a story centering around The Emperor and Yoda, with conflicting POVs. A balance is struck between what we know and what we don’t, in terms of Yoda’s passing. The dueling POVs is also a subtle callback to their duel in Revenge of The Sith. The way Gratton is able to create a menacing tale, nailing both minds of storied characters, while still sticking to the MG range deserves applause. Bit of a random note, but it also has me very excited for what she can in the genre of the upcoming Quest For Planet X by them.

Through The Turbulence by Roseanne A. Brown is a story centering around Rey and Poe. Definitely a bottom five story in this anthology, though I do not envy the challenge she faced, writing Rey and Poe when they were in a contentious spot for seemingly no reason. Creating backstory is good, especially when the sequels were lacking in doing that for their characters, but the jealousy Poe has makes him seem like a completely different character. Poe does not strike me as the jealous type, nor does Rey strike me as the contentious type, yet they both show those traits. It makes this a frustrating read to say the least, especially with a lacking story.

Jake Bartok, well this was pretty obvious going into this, nailed the art. I do wish he got to do more with it. I expected more of what we got from Grant Griffin in previous anthologies, and given Jake's abilities, that would have been cool, but still, the art is amazing. Every character's looks were nailed to precision by him. The black and white style rubbed me the wrong way at first, but by the end I really did like it.


Overall, this book gets 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. There are a good amount of very good stories in this. Heck, Masters by Tessa Gratton makes this book worth it to buy itself. The good stories are very good, but the stories that make this book drag really do bring it down a bit. Some of the stories just don't feel like they do very much, or are forced to have some sort of outcome (take a look at Blood Moon Uprising). That being said, I would still recommend that fans of Star Wars books buy this book. The art and good stories make it worth it.