“Defy the Storm” is more grim in tone than the more recent young adult novels in “The High Republic” series, especially those starring Vernestra Rwoh. While the book is still impossibly fun, it has an undercurrent of dread to it, and that’s not a bad thing. Part of that comes from the fact that the heroes in the galaxy are still on their back foot and the Nihil are reigning across a huge swath of the galaxy. Hope continues to fade, but this book offers a glimmer at the end of that tunnel.
Well-written and fast-paced, it’s an enjoyable afternoon read, especially if you want to get a more detailed preview of what we might be seeing in “The Acolyte”, which is set to premiere at some point this year on Disney+.
“Defy the Storm” also gets high marks for diversity and inclusion, which is really a great thing, despite the loudest voices trying to say otherwise. We’ve had plenty of stories in “Star Wars” of heterosexual couples, it’s great to get a look at two different sorts of relationships in this book.
More than anything, it captures the spirit of “Star Wars” in new and interesting ways, even to the point of having the climax play out across three different settings, much like “Return of the Jedi” and “The Phantom Menace.” I know it’s something I say a lot about the books of “The High Republic,” but they’ve captured (Force) lightning in a bottle with this series, making it innately “Star Wars” and inherently fresh and new.
You’d do well to pick this one up.
“Star Wars – The High Republic: Defy the Storm” is available now wherever you buy books.
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