The Starbird Files

  Path of Vengeance by Cavan Scott REVIEW   *Spoiler Heavy* The final book of Phase II, although I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the second part of Project Luminous, going into Path of Vengeance I did feel that it had a lot of heavy lifting to do to show why this detour 150 years in the past was needed. But if anyone could pull it off it’s Cavan Scott. While the comics and books of phase I were interlinked and part of one story, this phase has taken this to a whole new level with books overlapping, seeing the same events from different angles and perspectives. Path of Vengeance takes place during the Battle of Jedha through Cataclysm, bringing together characters from Path of Deceit and the High Republic comics, as well as references to the middle grade books. If you were wondering where Marda was in Cataclysm, the answer was right here. Clinging desperately to her beliefs despite all evidence to the contrary, she is the most devoted earnest follower of the Path, which leads her to ta...

If like me you weren’t really paying attention to NYCC there was a lot of Star Wars publishing news to catch up on, so I went hunting for all the news and collected it here for you too! Let’s begin with High Republic News There were cover reveals for wave 2 of the Phase II Cataclysm by Lydia Kang (Adult Novel, April 2023 Del Rey) Quest for Planet X by Tessa Gratton (Young Reader, April 2023 Disney Lucasfilm) Path of Vengeance by Cavan Scott (YA, May 2023 Disney Lucasfilm) There was a new book announced, a YA Anthology announced for July 2023, featuring stories connecting to all three phases, written by all the HR authors - Zoraida Córdova, Tessa Gratton, Claudia Gray, Justina Ireland, Lydia Kang, George Mann, Daniel José Older, Cavan Scott and Charles Soule. There was another new book announced, The Edge of Balance: Precedent the first manga revealed for Phase II by Daniel José Older & Tomio Ogata (Viz Media May 2023). Burryaga will return in children’s book ‘Yoda & the youngli...

Out of the Shadows by Justina Ireland (Disney Lucasfilm Press) I’ve honestly been struggling with how to start this review    of Out of the Shadows other than to say that this may be my favorite book of the High Republic era so far. The second Young Adult book in the High Republic project is written by Justina Ireland, and the story brings together characters from the first YA book in Reath Silas, Cohmac Vitus and Nan, and characters from Ireland’s A Test of Courage in Vernestra Rwoh and Imri Canteros. The story takes place several months after the events of the Galactic Fair on Valo and centres on Syl, a hauler formerly of the Byne guild who recently lost her ship and her mother in a Nihil attack when her ship was mysteriously pulled out of hyperspace in the Berenge sector. Together with Xylan Graf a wealthy businessman and the Jedi Cohmac, Reath, Vernestra and Imri she sets out to find out what happened. The story is a slow burn but that is just fine with me, especially as a...