Mace Windu has an incredible presence on and off screen. When you think of his name you may immediately think of Samuel L. Jackson bringing his natural charm and swagger to the prequels, but also his appearance in The Clone Wars and even the classic Legends novel Shatterpoint by Matthew Stover and even more recently his part in The Living Force by John Jackson Miller.

The latest Mace adventure , Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss brings together the myriad of versions of Mace into a new adventure deeply rooted to exploring the emotional and physical breaking points of Mace and the Jedi Order he holds so dearly.

This novel is set shortly after the events of The Phantom Menace. Mace receives a message from Qui-Gon Jinn. It is a holographic message meant to be read by Mace in the event of Qui-Gon's death. Mace is asked to keep a promise Qui-Gon made to someone on an Outer Rim planet called Metagos. The planet has managed to survive a cataclysmic solar flare disaster but has become a criminal playground far from the eyes of the Republic.

This book opens with Mace introducing himself to the locals of Metagos as a stranger looking for employment. As the story unfolds through a series of flashbacks we learn Mace's mission and the many complexities that stand in his way to finishing Qui-Gon's final wish.

Steven Barnes does a tremendous job of grounding the reader in the time frame of the novel as well as exploring the stark difference between life in and outside of Republic space. The history, world building and threats of Metagos are the bulk of the story beats in this book and the culture is fascinating and very diverse. Mace finds that many of the principles he lives his life by being constantly challenged by choices he needs to make and his time among the people he is meant to protect bring him emotional connections he never expected. It was so satisfying to have Mace have a starring in his own novel that honors all aspects of his personality. I especially enjoyed the mystical elements involving the Sa'ad and their connection to their world through dreams. This is a standalone read that is very new reader friendly. A great read for fans of Mace Windu as well as those new to reading in the Star Wars galaxy.

'The Glass Abyss' puts Mace Windu in dark, confusing Star Wars noir mystery

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Well, that was a Star Wars book. Actually, there were many times while reading (and listening to) Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss that I forgot I was reading a Star Wars book. Then Mace Windu’s name would pop up and oh, yeah, this is supposed to be a Star Wars story.

No one is more disappointed than me that I didn’t love The Glass Abyss. Maybe I had misplaced expectations. Maybe the book arrived at a time when I needed cozy rom-coms and epic fantasy to escape into — i.e. two hurricanes in two weeks. Either way, The Glass Abyss never hooked me into the story despite being set in my favorite Star Wars era (the prequels) and starring a Jedi character we have so few stories about.

Set not too long after The Phantom Menace, The Glass Abyss follows Master Mace Windu as he follows the final wishes of his fallen friend, Qui-Gon Jinn. The mission pushes Mace to go to the planet Metagos, an Outer Rim world turned into a brutal crystalline marvel because of radiating solar storms. Qui-Gon made a promise to the people of Metagos, who have been oppressed for years under the yokes of criminal clans on the verge of civil war.

With Qui-Gon gone, it becomes Mace’s burden to help the Metagosians, but the Jedi’s mission isn’t clear until two-thirds into the book. The bulk of the novel is about challenging the Jedi warrior’s beliefs and presenting the most detailed, introspective Mace Windu story yet. The best parts of The Glass Abyss are Mace’s thoughts, feelings (and lack thereof), and inner monologues. The fact that we got a Mace-focused story far from the rest of the galaxy’s and Jedi Order’s issues is the only reason I gave this book three stars instead of two.

Where the book lost me was in the intricacies of Metagos and its denizens. Eric Eilersen over at Youtini wrote in his review that The Glass Abyss reads like it was never meant to be a Star Wars story — and I can’t help but agree. Barnes’ story is incredibly creative, leaning far into the subgenre of sci-fi noir mystery. It’s clear the author had been creating and molding this deep, dark world for a long time. And that absolutely comes through in Barnes’ intricate, hard sci-fi purple prose.

Because of odd pacing, clunky dialogue, and a confusing, hardboiled writing style, The Glass Abyss was a struggle to follow and comprehend. There were many pages I had to read several times and eventually listen to to understand what was happening and to whom.

Speaking of listening to the book, the audiobook files definitely helped me comprehend the story. Narrator William DeMerrit’s work turns The Glass Abyss into a classic radio mystery drama — still not a Star Wars book, but a much more enjoyable, vibey experience than silent reading the novel.

The audiobook also helps better differentiate between all the new side characters — from the Web-worshipping alien species to the science-defying mutant Chulok. The characterizations of Mace and others are the brightest parts of the story even when they’re convoluted or barely resemble established Star Wars lore.

With all the single character-focused Star Wars novels out there, expectations were high for The Glass Abyss. Because The Glass Abyss is the first Mace Windu novel in the new canon, I wouldn’t be surprised if this book was many fans’ most anticipated of the year. It certainly was one I was very excited about. I’ve never been a big Mace Windu fan, but I was thrilled to learn more about the Jedi’s past and what makes him tick. The Glass Abyss, unfortunately, didn’t deliver on what I thought was promised.

This Mace Windu simultaneously felt like the intense Jedi warrior we know and a completely different man dropped into the Star Wars galaxy and handed a purple lightsaber. Once the incredible Star Warsy action gets going in the last third of the book, I was already mostly checked out of this story and just wanted it to be over.

As I said before, I am so disappointed that I didn’t love this book like I thought I would. There’s a chance I may revisit The Glass Abyss in the future, but for now, I’m moving on to other Star Wars books on my TBR.

I’m going to admit something — a Star Wars opinion — I’ve kept to myself for most of my long-running fandom: Mace Windu has never been a character in a galaxy far, far away I’ve particularly liked.

People have their reasons for liking Mace based on his appearances in the movies and in Legends novels, and I’m not here to judge. The purple lightsaber has always been, admittedly, very cool.

I blame Season 7 of The Clone Wars for some of my ill feelings — if you know you know — but I’m happy to say I’m feeling a little differently toward the Jedi Master now thanks to The Glass Abyss.

Steven Barnes’ novel — set in the aftermath of The Phantom Menace — paints a completely different picture of Mace Windu than we’re used to from the Star Wars prequel films in particular. And that’s a good thing, and something I think Star Wars books in general have a lot of freedom to do with characters primarily featured on the big screen first.

In this book, Qui-Gon Jinn has just died. Because the two were friends, Mace is still kind of struggling to adequately process that. So when he’s handed a message directly from the late Jedi Master asking him to complete an important mission on his behalf, he immediately goes to fulfill the task. And what a daunting task it is.

He finds himself on a devastated planet called Metagos, wedged between two sinister leaders on the verge of civil war. It’s not the kind of mission Mace would typically agree to. But he made a promise to a friend. And a Jedi keeps his promises.

What this book does best is go to great lengths to show that Mace Windu, often contrary to what we see on the screen, is a human being who feels his emotions deeply and honestly. He is forced to confront truths about his past and make decisions about who he wants to become. Above all else he is a master of the Force. But within that, he is also someone who cares about life, sentient or not, and will go out of his way to preserve it.

Steven Barnes portrays Mace as a complex, conflicted warrior on a journey of self-discovery when he wasn’t aware he even needed such a thing. He may not have been fully resistant to the mission at hand, but he does struggle tremendously throughout it. And isn’t that the point of missions like this — to struggle when we didn’t before, in order to discover areas in which we desperately need to grow?

And that’s a message that makes this book really fascinating. Because we’re looking at a character who we’ve always viewed as powerful and borderline invincible, and yet he maybe barely survives the story because of the unfamiliar forces he’s up against.

I view Mace Windu differently now than I did a week ago when I hadn’t read this book. To be able to encourage that drastic change in perspective on a character that has existed for over 25 years is quite an impressive feat. Not to mention Barnes is an intriguing writer who uses his own life experiences to challenge our perceptions of a lot of things we thought we knew about in Star Wars — some people might not like that, but I do. A franchise of nearly 50 years needs to prompt us to think about things every now and then.

The Glass Abyss is an isolated adventure that doesn’t seemingly have a lot of impact on the galaxy outside of it, but I would argue we need more stories like this too. Not every Star Wars story has to be galaxy-altering. A story can be good even when the things that happen after it go on as if this story didn’t happen.

What’s important to remember is that even if the galaxy itself doesn’t change after a particular story is told, its main characters always will. I will not interact with Mace Windu the same way when I revisit stories that feature him in the future. That matters. A character-driven story is just as impactful as one that moves the overarching plot forward.

You’ll love this book if you like the prequels, magic in Star Wars, heroes confronting their pasts, warriors fighting for a cause, wars between powers neither of which are particularly good, and exploring new places in the galaxy we’ve never seen before. If you already like Mace Windu, I think you’ll find this book particularly enjoyable. If you don’t, who knows — you might come out the other side liking him a little more than you did before.

Thanks to Random House Worlds for the advanced copy of this book.

This dad read Star Wars: Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss by Steven Barnes. Taking place shortly after the events of The Phantom Menace, The Glass Abyss finds Jedi Master Mace Windu embarking on a perilous mission to the remote planet Metagos, spurred by a final request from his fallen friend Qui-Gon Jinn, whose unexpected death has left the Jedi reeling. Once a protector of the Sa’ad farming clan, Qui-Gon’s legacy weighs heavily on Mace as he confronts a brutal landscape transformed by a violent solar flare, where rival clans vie for survival underground. Tasked with aiding the Sa’ad against oppressive crime lords, Mace’s journey not only tests his formidable skills but also challenges his beliefs and connection to the Force, as he seeks to honor Qui-Gon’s vow while navigating a treacherous web of alliances and adversaries.

The initial setup for The Glass Abyss had me quite intrigued, I don’t think we can ever get enough Mace Windu content. Plus, the setting of planet Metagos is quite unique, with its crystal structures and multi level underground cave system. Barnes does a great job of setting the scene, his descriptions are vivid and I was transported to another world. Once Mace’s adventure kicks in, however, is where things start to get murky.

My struggle with The Glass Abyss stems from the novel diving too deeply into the world of Metagos. Like the depths of the underground world itself, Abyss gets lost in the intricacies, politics, and infighting of the denizens of Metagos. The power struggle between the Sa’ad and Chulok (more on them in a moment) never emotionally tugged at me the way I think it was supposed to. Additionally, Mace Windu himself seems to get lost in more ways than one. Not only does he take a back seat in terms of the overall story, his characterization doesn’t quite gel with the one that readers might be used to from established Star Wars canon.

The Mace Windu we experience in The Glass Abyss is one who goes through quite the emotional arc, which in and of itself isn’t a bad thing, but again it feels forced onto him rather than an organic experience of the character. We see him delving into when he first joined the Jedi order as a child, and his emotional bond with someone he encounters on Metagos. The extremes of emotion aren’t what bother me, it’s more that these seemingly life-altering events and revelations don’t stay with Windu after the events of Abyss take place. To sum it up, The Glass Abyss is a compelling science fiction story, but a weak Star Wars one.

The Glass Abyss does get points for introducing us to a terrifying new villain in Chulok, who is actually two beings who have merged to become one multi-limbed, single minded menace. Barnes’ strong descriptive writing serves Chulok well and its their physical and psychological dominance that makes them truly terrifying.

It always bums me out when a Star Wars book doesn’t quite land for my personal taste. The Glass Abyss is definitely one of the most unique Star Wars novels in quite some time but it’s a 🧢🧢/5 for me. If you’re a Mace Windu fan with a penchant for science fiction, give this book a shot!

A good look into the character of Mace Windu, a character who is too often misinterpreted by the fandom. Steven Barnes puts a lot of care into building out who Mace is, outside of Anakin’s story. His internal struggle with who he is and how he balances his anger is to me the most interesting part of the story, and I wish we had gotten a little more of Mace’s inner world. Exploring his emotions and backstory makes looking at him during the prequel movies more fascinating. I enjoyed both the view into Mace’s relationship with Yoda and Qui Gon, and the new character Barnes created.

The strongest part of this book is the world building. The care and detail that Barnes put into building a whole new planet, including the architecture, the different habitants, and environment, is incredible. It is unique, unlike any other planet that we have seen in Star Wars, and I am happy to see Barnes was given the freedom to create it. This includes the villain, which introduces a new concept to the franchise that would be cool to see more of, especially in an animated context.

As excited as I was to learn more about this character, I was hesitant going in because of the time period. However, goth the new planet and characters help to fight the prequel fatigue that I have been personally feeling from the franchise.

The thing I struggle most with was the writing style. It was not bad, just not personally to my taste. The best way I can describe it is that Barnes is obviously an author who has been writing fantasy/sci fic books for many years, and that is clear in the writing. I did appreciate the short chapters, as it kept the plot moving at a good pace.

Steven Barnes explores Mace Windu, weaving a story of underworld alliances, intricate history, and deadly danger.

Windu is stern, no-nonsense, and stoic to a fault in much of the storytelling we’ve seen. Steven Barnes explores Mace Windu far deeper than any other media thus far. In a story with plenty of action, drama, and interactions, Windu is fleshed out like never before. Ideas on the fundamentals of what it means to be a Jedi are explored. And Mace Windu’s trials and tribulations are dealt with thoughtfully. The world of Metagos and the delicate balance of powers in New Xaxxis are a fascinating and complicated setting. Each new character is fresh and enjoyable and figuring out their place in the story keeps the reader engaged. What might easily be a simple straightforward action outing instead is an action-packed dimensional story that explores Windu, his thoughts, and his past in a truly unexpected way.

This is a must-read for Windu fans looking for deep character exploration with plenty of action and a hint of mystery to dig through!

Star Wars: The Glass Abyss is an intriguing novel set shortly after The Phantom Menace, where Mace Windu embarks on a mission to the planet Metagos, following a message left by Qui-Gon Jinn. The planet's irradiated surface forces its inhabitants underground, where crime lords vie for control, but the true reason Qui-Gon chose Mace remains a mystery until later in the story.

The novel’s highlight is its exploration of Mace Windu’s past and internal struggles. As he faces a crisis of faith, Mace questions whether his choice to join the Jedi was truly his own, adding a layer of complexity to his character. This vulnerability shows that even a seemingly stoic Jedi like Mace experiences doubt, fear, and love—echoing Obi-Wan's reminder to Anakin that it’s not about avoiding emotions but mastering them to protect others.

The Glass Abyss is definitely worth reading for fans of Mace Windu, offering deeper insight into his character and delivering some solid action along the way.

A startlingly fast-paced story with a lot of attention to detail. It's a great entry for those who are fans of the prequel trilogy, but also good to read even if newer to the Star Wars universe.

I’m not 100% sure what I expected when I heard there was going to be a Mace Windu-centric Prequel era novel. I know there have been books about him in Legends before, and he’s popped up in other stories, but he’s not the sort of character where, upon hearing he’s getting a novel focused solely on one of his adventures, I could make an educated guess about where it’s going.

It’s a good thing I didn’t even try, because Steven Barnes’ Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss absolutely surprised me in a big way.

The book follows Mace, sometime after the events of The Phantom Menace, as he heads out on a mission left to him by the late Qui-Gon Jinn. At the request of his late friend, he heads to the world of Metagos, where the inhabitants live underground, and also live at the mercy of crime lords fighting for control of their glass-coated planet.

I know I keep comparing everything to Jedi Apprentice — indeed, this is the second time in less than a month that I’ve made that comparison — but that’s my frame of reference for this certain flavour of adventure, the sort that is low-stakes, relatively speaking, and confined to one location, and largely concerned with the plight of the locals, such as it is. In that respect, The Glass Abyss felt very in line with the Jedi Apprentice style of adventure, though obviously aged up in content with the adult audience in mind.

It was also thrilling to get some insight into Mace Windu himself, and the way he perceives the Force and those around him. I hadn’t ever really felt like I knew him all that well, and I certainly feel like I know him better now. That said, this book also sheds some light on certain aspects of his life that ought to have made him a good mentor to Anakin down the line. Ah well, chalk that up to the Jedi just not talking about their feelings.

Star Wars: The Glass Abyss is out on October 15. Special thank you to Random House Worlds for the advance copy for review purposes.

Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss won’t be for everyone. If you’re expecting lots of planets, and Easter eggs aplenty, then you may be disappointed. However, what The Glass Abyss does brilliantly allow you to escape and brings you into this underground landscape that fills your mind with wonder in a fully realized and living world. It truly becomes just about Mace Windu and the city of Metagos. Steven Barnes brings us a very different kind of Star Wars adventure that despite feeling bogged down with exposition and descriptions at times. This is a highly recommended adventure about loss and love and hope that ties together beautifully with some exciting Jedi action.

Read full review at https://thecosmiccircus.com/book-review-mace-windu-the-glass-abyss-by-steven-barnes/

Welcome back to Star Wars, Steven Barnes! After 20 long years, Mr Barnes is back with a solo tale about Mace Windu. Set just after the events of The Phantom Menace, Mace is asked to complete a favor from his old friend, Qui Gon Jin. He's off to Metagos to help the people of New Xaxxis, an underground city on a ravaged world run by a severe criminal element.

The Glass Abyss is full of action, intrigue and gives much needed insight into one of the most notable Jedi of the prequel era. The book feels very much in line with the Expanded Universe of old. It's a wild story of duality, honor, duty, pride and history. A fitting tale for a formidable Jedi.

Answering Qui-Gon Jinn’s final wish, Jedi Master Mace Windu is thrown into the complicated world of Metagos and the growing tension between the criminal element and the native population. Author Steven Barnes gives us a Mace Windu we haven’t seen before. One that questions his induction into the Jedi Order, is not afraid to flirt with the Sa’ad web spinner KinShan, and has to ultimately deal with the childhood trauma of losing his parents.

The strongest aspect of this book is the exploration of Metagos, especially New Xaxxis and how it is a character on its own. From the different species that originated in the planet or that had settled there thousands of years ago, to the underground Depth Dwellers, intricate maze caverns, and connections between all beings through the “web”. For the villains, the one that gets the most attention is thane ChuLok, an amalgamation of two beings in order to create an almost unstoppable killing machine. Two heads that could think and talk as one but also be independent of each other. Four arms, four legs, and speed that matched even the most skilled Jedi. I would have liked if we’d gotten more with the other crime lord, Sybil the Worm Queen.

The way the Sa’ad viewed the Force, as an interconnected web and Mace joining in the “web dance” to become an honorary Sa’ad, and that Metagos was a “living, sentient” planet, connected to the Hillians through a mycelia network, web threads connecting all living things almost as a collective consciousness was one of the most interesting aspects of the book. Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss will satisfy fans of the character and fans of stand-alone stories that do not necessarily need to connect with the larger Star Wars universe. Although we learn more about Mace, at times it felt like the story could have been about any established Jedi and it would still have the same impact. Steven Barnes excels in connecting us to the inhabitants of New Xaxxis and their plight against the rising criminal element.

After 20 years, Steven Barnes returns to Star Wars with the novel Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss, a mesmerizingly detailed character study which puts the titular character through a unique and engaging situation only he seems suited to solve.

Set shortly after the events of The Phantom Menace, Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss begins with the Jedi Master receiving a post-humous message from Qui-Gon Jinn, asking him to follow through on Jinn’s promise to protect the Outer Rim world of Metagos. When Mace Windu arrives, he finds himself in the middle of a complicated situation, where two criminal factions have a chokehold on the planet, where class and wealth separate the local population, while a group called the Sa’ad navigates both factions as they protect and harness a native species’ silk making capabilities, the planet’s main export. It’s quickly apparent the situation on the planet is densely complicated, and Steven Barnes’ expressive and heavy world-building makes it an engaging mystery to unfurl as readers are pulled in as deeply as Mace is to the world’s secrets. As compelling as the overall story ends up being, the opening portion of The Glass Abyss can drag, with Barnes’ attention to detail working against it initially, but once it picks up steam and it’s clear the devil’s in the details to what’s really going on, it all feels worth it in the end. In the days and weeks since I finished the novel, the planet, its people, and the struggles there have stuck with me in large part to Barnes’ near exhaustive exploration of each facet, with a prose which mesmerizes as much as its subject matter does. In some recent novels, including High Republic ones, the stories often are too busy planet-hopping to really give each one a sense of place, so the intense focus on Metagos here, much like John Jackson Miller did with Kwenn in The Living Force (which Mace also stars in!), makes the planet a character of its own, aiding readers to feel as connected as Mace becomes to its struggles in his journey to save its people. The struggles which Metagos and its people face break out into an all-out battle for the soul of the planet, but the fighting and rousing speeches to each side’s troops play out too long, with the fighting becoming exhaustive to read as I’m sure such conflicts actually do, while the speeches get too repetitive, they all start sounding the same. However, the overall finale of The Glass Abyss, and some of the intriguing events with the planet and Mace’s and its people’s efforts, more than make up for it. Because of Barnes’ descriptive tendencies, any combat is often visceral, bloody, and detailed, often hammering the point home too much, but it does paint a tough picture for all combatants involved, while it makes for some late in the book reveals about an unseen menace all the more terrifying, in a good way. As for Mace himself, which I’ll go over more in a moment, this novel is a character study for the ages, as it ends up going in some surprising directions (raising eyebrows in the most interesting of ways) and explores his unique relationship to the Jedi Order. Other characters might not reach the same heights because of the intense focus on Mace, but most of the direct supporting cast gets their due (even a droid character!), while The Glass Abyss’ most prominent antagonist, Chulok, felt like they needed just a smidge more focus to make them credible as a larger threat to the galaxy, unless the point was they shouldn’t actually feel capable of such expansion. In the end, Barnes’ fantastic prose is a double-edged sword, but one side is much much sharper, the details and depth he plumbs from his meticulous examinations, than the other, pacing and lack of exploration of other characters.

For Mace Windu specifically, I know the standard bearer for exploring the character has long been Matthew Stover’s Shatterpoint, the literal ability from the title getting a sly reference here, so Glass Abyss had a lot to live up to/prove in some ways. I can comfortably say, out of the two, I felt like Glass Abyss was the more intriguing and multi-faceted character study overall, but both are worth a read for fans of the Jedi Master. I appreciated most how the novel doesn’t necessarily worry about pushing Mace to or from the dark side, but rather it explores his connection to the Force, the Order, and its tenants through aspects like his Vaapad fighting style, his penchant for violence, his past, his connections to others, and even what being in the Order going forward should and could mean for him. Some of the deepest explorations come from his time with the Sa’ad, a group of people who live in connection with the planet and protect and nurture a native species which produce their silk export, and their leader, KinShan Nightbird, a woman who knows the situation with the dueling crime lords will spell doom for their planet if someone doesn’t intervene. KinShan and Mace develop a deep, in unexpected ways, and interesting friendship, as Mace attempts to solve the problems facing her people/the planet, while also coming to learn her people’s ways, which is spurred on from his increasing lack of sleep and slipping connection to the Force and KinShan believes their ways hold his remedies. His time with the Sa’ad, learning their ways, and the Hillian silk worms they nurture were my favorite parts/aspects of the novel, as his exploration of their teachings leads us to some surprising glimpses into his past and his psyche. While undercover for this mission, Mace goes by the name Solver, which is a fitting but ironic name as he certainly arrives on Metagos with the intention of solving what ails the people and the planet, but he also has to solve himself and what he wants from the Force and the Order going forward, especially his warrior-like ways and the effective strength of his acts of violence. Barnes’ willingness to dive so deeply into the character, in such an arresting and memorable way, is to our benefit, as the simple question about his place in the Jedi Order and what he comes to understand about himself by Glass Abyss’ end, while a foregone conclusion considering its place in the timeline, helps crystalize the character for what we know is still to come for him.

It's not just KinShan which Mace interacts with, as he gains allies and enemies on all sides, with many locals left wondering, and hoping, he’ll be able to help. I loved the idea of having Maya-12, one of a triplet of holo-droids at a local watering hole, be such an important part of the story, and it helps Barnes gives the character just as much heart as the others, with some expressive and interesting POV moments which I hope can be matched with more droid characters in the future. The bartender, Vin-Vin, is a weary man who tries to balance a precarious peace, but slowly feels emboldened by the Solver’s, aka Mace’s, presence, and while he reads like your stereotypical bartender, he gets to break out of his shell towards the end. It’s through Vin-Vin and Maya-12, of all characters, we get a sense for the population’s awakening thanks to Mace’s actions, which allows Barnes to make a great point about complacency and taking the first step into owning one’s actions which lead to it, and then taking the next step and doing something about it, no matter who initially lit the fire which now burns beneath you.

On the opposite of Maya and Vin-Vin are the two opposing syndicate factions, Sybil and Chulok’s group, which maintain a fragile peace to maintain the status quo. The Syblins resemble a beehive to some degree, with the hundreds of children from their Queen Sybil assigned numbers, not names, and their ubiquitous presence is a strong deterrent to others. Chulok and their gang live in a palace high above the city, protecting the wealthy and reminding everyone else who rules, as it’s the blood, sweat, and lives of the ancestors of the Abyss’ citizens who built what looms over them now. Of the two groups, Mace spends much more considerable time with Chulok, who is actually two beings, Chu and Lok, connected due to a unique feature of Chu’s species, and therefore is the more memorable and interesting antagonist. As mentioned earlier, I never quite felt like Chulok was worth their galactic aspirations, unlike Zilastra from The Living Force, but the deadly conjoined pair are a fascinating character locally for Mace to match wits and skills with, and the relationship Mace builds with them does make it a personal and intense situation overall, especially once Mace’s Jedi identity is revealed. How Mace plays both off against each other to pursue the freedom of the locals, and the later the schemes they play with and against one another as the peace between them reaches a breaking point, keeps readers guessing how it’ll all end up, even if the ending seems certain.

The planet Metagos really is a character of its own thanks to Barnes’ prose. The attention to detail and the many layers of its geology described offers an intriguing sense of history for the planet itself, to the point its geographical features have a historical throughline and it logically all makes sense how it has formed and developed over time like it has. Often times I’m sort of half imagining planets as described in a book, only maybe the immediate thing a character’s talking about at that time, unless we’ve seen them in comics, games, or TV shows/movies, but in The Glass Abyss it felt like Barnes was creating a map inside my head of Metagos with how the many characters describe it. Sometimes this was distracting, but it helped ground me in the story more than some other novels try, as it was sort of like a mental VR while reading. Metagos’ ultimate secrets are fascinating, especially how it relates to Mace’s nightly torments, the mysterious “Depth Dwellers” everyone is frightened by but never see thanks to massive ancient gates keeping them at bay, and how the events here seem to fit into the planet’s detailed cycle of destruction and awakening. I’d have read more science books in school had they been as interestingly detailed as this gets about the innerworkings of nearly every aspect of the planet and underground city/levels Mace navigates.

Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss by Steven Barnes mesmerizes time and time again with its prose, intense focus on character exploration, and the depths it plumbs for the planet and those who inhabit it, leaving us with a book which should turn anyone into a fan of Mace.