Cracking, ambitious entry into Star Wars canon. Utilising the classic Star Wars world building and characters to great effect this is not to be missed.

The Mask of Fear is a gripping and ambitious entry into the Star Wars canon, set in the tumultuous period between Revenge of the Sith and Andor. This first installment of the Reign of the Empire trilogy explores the fragile and dangerous early days of the Rebel Alliance through the perspectives of Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and Saw Gerrera.

Told through alternating the points of view, the story weaves a political thriller that highlights the characters' contrasting approaches to undermining the newly established Galactic Empire. Mon Mothma’s calculated diplomacy, Bail Organa’s subtle resistance, and Saw Gerrera’s more radical tactics showcase the diverse ideologies and strategies that would later shape the rebellion. Each character’s journey is distinct yet interconnected, creating a tense narrative full of intrigue, moral conflict, and action.

While the empire’s fall is still far off, The Mask of Fear effectively lays the foundation for what will become a galaxy-wide resistance. The story is not only a prelude to Andor but also a deep dive into the personal and political struggles of its key figures. Fans of the series will appreciate the novel’s careful attention to continuity, as well as its exploration of themes like sacrifice, hope, and the cost of defiance.

As the first chapter in this trilogy, the book sets a strong tone for what’s to come. With Andor returning in 2025, The Mask of Fear feels like the perfect companion piece, offering new layers of context and depth to the Rebel Alliance's origins. The next two books promise to delve even further into the evolution of the rebellion, and I, for one, can’t wait to see where the story goes next.

This is Star Wars storytelling at its finest—complex, thrilling, and steeped in the weight of its characters' decisions. A must-read for any fan eager to explore the darker, more nuanced corners of the galaxy.

This is being promoted in many ways as a tie-in for Andor, but it's also a tie-in for Clone Wars and Revenge of the Sith, and going in, I was curious how Freed was going to handle that. Star Wars is a franchise that spans genres and age levels. The tone of Clone Wars--a TV-PG-rated animated military fantasy adventure show for tweens and teens, full of Jedi hijinks and quippy, sometimes bombastic dialogue--doesn't really match the tone of Andor, a TV-14 political drama and spy thriller. I like them both for what they are, but I couldn't see how they were going to come together. Was Freed going to lean more toward one or the other, or attempt to blend them into a middle ground?

The answer is neither. Mon here is very much Mon from Andor (or at least, a younger and slightly less despairing version of Mon from Andor), concerned with the minutia of legislation and the difficulty of finding, trusting, and keeping allies in an atmosphere of increasing political paranoia. Bail is very much Bail from Revenge of the Sith and Clone Wars, fixated on the Jedi as the best and purest force in the galaxy and ready to ditch his office duties and fling himself into action at the slightest excuse.

And it works better than I could have imagined, because that difference in genre origin has been reified into a difference of political perspective. Mon is an institutionalist, a centrist, a schemer who believes Palpatine can be held in check via political means; Bail is a firebrand populist convinced that exposing The Truth of Order 66 and the murder of the Jedi (if he can just find evidence) will cause the people to revolt against Palpatine in horror. They both want Palpatine out of power, but they're both convinced the other is going about it a completely wrong-headed way, and that divide is the tension that drives the novel.

(Which is, frankly, a better source of tension than "will they succeed in defeating Palpatine in 19 BBY," because we the readers know perfectly well the answer to that is "no." But "will Bail and Mon succeed in putting aside their differences working together"? We-ell, eventually yes, we know that, but exactly when and how willingly or grudgingly is something canon has never before explored.)

I like Mon. I like Bail. I spent a significant part of this novel thinking at both of them, "I understand why you think this will help, but it will not and I wish you'd make better choices." And that to me is a sign of quality characterization: building characters I understand and empathize with even when I think they're very, very wrong.

You may note that this point that this is a novel with three protagonists, and yet I've talked about only two of them. That's because I think the Saw Gerrera sections work rather less well than the Mon and Bail ones. I will admit upfront that I find Saw tedious as a character across the franchise, so I'm not the best reviewer to judge how effectively he's used here. But I don't think it helps that we get almost no insight into Saw's thoughts; Mon and Bail are POV of their own sections, but the Saw portions of the novel are told through the POV of a new character. That character is fine as a plot device, but never really grew on me as a person despite fairly extensive attempts to build sympathy via backstory.

There are several other new-to-the-novel characters who get POVs at various points, and all of them work much better for me than the one who's our viewpoint on Saw. I hope we see more of them in the future, though it's hard to say with the way the trilogy has been split between three authors. (I also hope we get more insight into Saw, and that seems likely; perhaps Roanhorse will be more comfortable writing from his POV than Freed was.) But either way, I'm excited to see where the narrative goes. If you thought "there's nothing new to say about this period of galactic history," this novel will prove you wrong.

[I received a free copy from NetGalley for review purposes]

What an honor to read! I really really enjoyed this one. Granted, I know little about the whole world of SW, just from the movies, but this was really fantastic and I hope I can read more.

The Mask of Fear is everything I hoped for and more—an electrifying start to a new Star Wars trilogy that promises to redefine the Rebellion’s origins. Alexander Freed delivers an intricate, character-driven story that not only explores the immediate fallout of Padmé Amidala’s death but also dives deep into the fractured relationships among Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and Saw Gerrera. The result is a tense, emotional journey through a galaxy on the brink of rebellion.

The novel shines in its portrayal of these iconic figures grappling with grief, distrust, and the weight of their roles in the face of the Empire’s ever-expanding tyranny. Mon and Bail are allies but not entirely aligned, while Saw’s radical approach creates a friction that feels both raw and authentic. Freed balances this character work with an equally compelling array of new faces, ensuring that the stakes never waver for a moment.

What stood out most for me is how Freed highlights the Empire’s real strength: isolating individuals, convincing them that resistance is futile. Watching these characters fight against that isolation—while still unsure of where their paths will lead—makes this novel an unmissable chapter in modern Star Wars storytelling.

I’m beyond excited for where this trilogy goes next. If The Mask of Fear is any indication, Star Wars: Reign of the Empire will be essential reading for fans old and new. Bring on book two!

An excellent addition to the Star Wars universe. Well, written, compelling, and intriguing throughout, it does an interesting job of examining the early stages of a dictatorship through the eyes of individuals intent on bringing about its downfall. I will without question be recommending this book once it is released

With one speech and thunderous applause, Chancellor Palpatine brought the era of the Republic crashing down. In its place rose the Galactic Empire. Across the galaxy, people rejoiced and celebrated the end of war—and the promises of tomorrow. But that tomorrow was a lie. Instead, the galaxy became twisted by the cruelty and fear of the Emperor’s rule.

During that terrifying first year of tyranny, Mon Mothma, Saw Gerrera, and Bail Organa face the encroaching darkness. One day, they will be three architects of the Rebel Alliance. But first, each must find purpose and direction in a changing galaxy, while harboring their own secrets, fears, and hopes for a future that may never come unless they act.

A very fun and addictive star wars book. I wouldnt recommend starting the expanded universe with this one, but veterans of the series should find plenty to like!

This is the most interesting era of Star Wars to me: What does it take to resist and rebel amid an unjust system in a complicated world? What are the compromises and principles needed to make real change? And how do you make choices when you can't know you're making the right ones, when the end isn't yet written?

The ambiguity and naivete of Bail, Mon, and Saw (in varying combinations) is handled well and with subtlety. These characters (plus new ones created for the novel) don't know if it'll all be ok, they don't have that complete certainty, and they all wrestle with it in their own ways.

I'm in, already counting down to book #2.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Worlds for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Whether people like it or not, Star Wars has always been political, and even though some audiences fail to realize it, it’s also never been shy about the politics it represents. The Empire is not a metaphor for something else, but quite literally a conquering power that became government illegally by funding foreign wars and pretending to bring and maintain peace through choking-tight control. The Rebellion is the people who stood up to fight for democracy and freedom for all. The fact that people mix these two up seems inconceivable.

Alexander Freed comes to muddy the waters even more for those kinds of people who failed to grasp such simple concepts - and by this I mean that he did a fantastic job at exploring the complexities inherent to a scenario such as Star Wars lays out, mirroring (as Star Wars has always done) the way it’s often played out in real life and, unfortunately, not in a way that feels anachronistic.

“The Mask of Fear” is the first book of a trilogy that covers the time period between the end of Revenge of the Sith and the beginning of Andor. This book covers those first few weeks and is told mostly through the POVs of Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, a former Separatist warrior who is found by Saw Gerrera’s team, and an old Republic/Empire spy and her protégé, with a few other POVs interspersed.

It’s a heavily political book, though not entirely devoid of action. The most similar book to this one that comes to mind is Claudia Gray’s “Bloodline”, so I think that can be a good parameter to know whether you might enjoy Freed’s story or not - personally, I loved both (“Bloodline” in a more bittersweet way, as it is linked to a sequel I don’t like or agree with).

While the dust of the war settles, a disgraced Mon Mothma seeks to push a bill that will ensure the Senate retains its power and keep Palpatine in check, which means forming alliances and toeing the line within the new regime. We find Mothma in her most vulnerable place yet, only to see her be reborn from her ashes into the future leader of the Rebellion that we know.

On the other hand, Bail seeks to uncover the truth and exonerate the Jedi Order, haunted by the ghosts of the Jedi and Padmé, and moved by his duty as a new father. We also see a different Bail to the one we’re used to - idealistic to the point of naive, almost uncompromising, yet still a more charismatic leader than Mothma can be.

I really appreciated that Freed managed to do something interesting, new and nuanced with these characters without losing sight of their essence - their clashing goals and personalities, the parts of them we might not recognize immediately, are fitting for this period of time, and become the building blocks for the transformations they both will experience in the coming years.

One thing I’ll say is that, while Soujen (the ex Separatist) was an interesting character and we see Saw’s operation through his perspective, I was missing the perspective of Saw himself - we only got a short chapter towards the end from his POV. This kept him still as the rogue element, the mysterious warrior, while we got to see the motivations and struggles of the other characters intimately. I can only hope the next books will fill this gap, but I still felt a little deceived since the blurb specifically said the story would be told “through the eyes” of Organa, Mothma and Gerrera.

After being disappointed with the way most Disney-era media have dealt with the political aspects in Star Wars, particularly post Return of the Jedi, this book was a fresh breath of air: perfectly in line with the thoughtfulness of Andor, politically relevant, well-written, offering a new yet not egregiously outlandish take on familiar characters. For once I feel like my high hopes have been fully met!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!!

I LOVED this book! It was a bit slow in the beginning but then boom I was hooked!! I finished it in one sitting! My first by this author but will not be my last!!

I loved the idea of a book through the eyes of characters in the Star Wars world. I added to the lore of New Hope and had that element that I had enjoyed from Star Wars as a whole. The writing was fantastic and was engaged with the story being told. Alexander Freed has a strong writing style and am excited to read the next book in Star Wars: Reign of the Empire series. This was a fantastic start and was glad I was able to read this.