Literature & Fiction
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Star Wars: The High Republic Path of Deceit
Set in the world of the High Republic, 150 years before the storytelling of Phase I, an era of change brings new hopes and possibilities . . . but also new dangers.
The Outer Rim planet Dalna has become the focus of a Jedi investigation into a stolen Force artifact, and Zallah Macri and her Padawan, Kevmo Zink, arrive on the pastoral world to follow up on a possible connection to a Dalnan missionary group called the Path of the Open Hand. Members of the Path believe that the Force must be free and should not be used by anyone, not even the Jedi. One such believer is Marda Ro, a young woman who dreams of leaving Dalna to spread word of the Path throughout the galaxy.
When Marda and Kevmo meet, their connection is instantaneous and electric―until Marda discovers Kevmo is a Jedi. But Kevmo is so kind and eager to learn more about the Path, that she hopes she can convince him of the rightness of her beliefs. What Marda doesn't realize is that the leader of the Path, a charismatic woman known only as the Mother, has an agenda of her own, and it is one that can never coexist peacefully with the Jedi.
In order to follow her faith, Marda may have to choose to become her new friend's worst enemy. . . .
Don't miss these other adventures set in the era of the High Republic!
Into the Dark by Claudia GrayOut of the Shadows by Justina IrelandMidnight Horizon by Daniel José Older
The Outer Rim planet Dalna has become the focus of a Jedi investigation into a stolen Force artifact, and Zallah Macri and her Padawan, Kevmo Zink, arrive on the pastoral world to follow up on a possible connection to a Dalnan missionary group called the Path of the Open Hand. Members of the Path believe that the Force must be free and should not be used by anyone, not even the Jedi. One such believer is Marda Ro, a young woman who dreams of leaving Dalna to spread word of the Path throughout the galaxy.
When Marda and Kevmo meet, their connection is instantaneous and electric―until Marda discovers Kevmo is a Jedi. But Kevmo is so kind and eager to learn more about the Path, that she hopes she can convince him of the rightness of her beliefs. What Marda doesn't realize is that the leader of the Path, a charismatic woman known only as the Mother, has an agenda of her own, and it is one that can never coexist peacefully with the Jedi.
In order to follow her faith, Marda may have to choose to become her new friend's worst enemy. . . .
Don't miss these other adventures set in the era of the High Republic!
Into the Dark by Claudia GrayOut of the Shadows by Justina IrelandMidnight Horizon by Daniel José Older
Editorial Reviews
PRAISE FOR THE HIGH REPUBLIC: OUT OF THE SHADOWS
"If you're looking for someone who can spin a yarn that makes you feel something inside your guts, makes your heart grow a size or two, and makes your arms bump with little gooses, in my opinion, there's only one answer Justina Ireland...the author of the best book in the first wave of...The High Republic...is back with the best book in wave two."―Cinelinx
PRAISE FOR THE HIGH REPUBLIC: OUT OF THE SHADOWS
"I adored Out of the Shadows...a shining example of how well an ensemble cast works."―Star Wars News Net
PRAISE FOR THE HIGH REPUBLIC: OUT OF THE SHADOWS
"Containing a dizzying number of overarching storylines and characters, this latest installment set in the High Republic era nonetheless excels…Per usual, Ireland's firm grasp of this universe keeps it all from running amok. An essential tome for die-hard Star Wars fans, although others will find much to enjoy."―Kirkus Reviews
A complex intrigue about motivation. . . . Enticing treachery.―Kirkus Reviews
"If you're looking for someone who can spin a yarn that makes you feel something inside your guts, makes your heart grow a size or two, and makes your arms bump with little gooses, in my opinion, there's only one answer Justina Ireland...the author of the best book in the first wave of...The High Republic...is back with the best book in wave two."―Cinelinx
PRAISE FOR THE HIGH REPUBLIC: OUT OF THE SHADOWS
"I adored Out of the Shadows...a shining example of how well an ensemble cast works."―Star Wars News Net
PRAISE FOR THE HIGH REPUBLIC: OUT OF THE SHADOWS
"Containing a dizzying number of overarching storylines and characters, this latest installment set in the High Republic era nonetheless excels…Per usual, Ireland's firm grasp of this universe keeps it all from running amok. An essential tome for die-hard Star Wars fans, although others will find much to enjoy."―Kirkus Reviews
A complex intrigue about motivation. . . . Enticing treachery.―Kirkus Reviews
Readers Top Reviews
Carmelo Esterrich
Those are not adjectives I usually use for a lot of 'younger' reading material. But this 'little' Star Wars novel delivers!! I have been reading online that it is a little slow during the first part of the novel, but I did not find it slow--I found that it was building tension for the last 50 pages or so, which are some of the best Star Wars fiction in the High Republic series. I don't want to put any spoilers here, but let me tell you: you are NOT ready for this book! I certainly wasn't! This is a great start for Phase II of the High Republic fiction.
MorganCarmelo Est
The first YA High Republic book was great, then they have somehow gotten better each time from there, and this is the best one yet. They remind me of the young Obi-Wan and young Anakin series I loved reading back in the day, with the whole dynamic of the main characters being a Padawan and a random non-Force-user on the planet the Padawan is serving. They also remind me of my beloved Young Jedi Knights books in their attempts to analogously tackle real-world issues, except they do it with far more subtlety and skill, especially in this one. The comparison to real-world cultic manipulation is very poignant and my heart hurt for Marda the whole time (and Yana for different reasons) It's not easy to get readers to care about new, potentially one-off non-Jedi characters and many previous Star Wars books have pretty much failed at it, but this one succeeds brilliantly. This book also ties into the main High Republic narrative arc more closely than I would have expected, more dramatically and ultimately more darkly. I am deeply grateful to Tess and Justina for writing this book, and to LucasFilm for continuing to support this fantastic publishing venture of The High Republic that opens the door wide for different and more impactful kinds of Star Wars stories than we can get in the main Skywalker-Saga-era canon. Can't wait to see what comes next. And I am also grateful to all my fellow readers whose purchases and engagement with the series are enabling LucasFilm to keep going with this massive series that dwarfs even New Jedi Order as the largest coordinated Star Wars storytelling effort. It warms my heart to know I'm far from the only one that loves this type of Star Wars!
Jeremy ToddMorgan
This is a great start to the new phase. Could not puy it down till I finished it. A great read for everyone.
KensiJeremy ToddM
Couldn’t put this one down. What a great start to Phase II. Coming out of Phase 1, I was interested in learning more about Marchion Ro’s people and what had taken place within the haunted halls of the GAZE ELECTRIC. In this book, we get background on the seemingly benign religious sect of The Path of the Open Hand and see it morph into a deadly and disturbing cult with true believers who drink the Kool-Aid. I loved the description of this time period as being one that is more open to various interpretations of the force, almost like what early Christianity was like, with the Jedi being just one of many sects, however dominant. For a YA novel, I thought this was surprisingly dark or at least more mature. The final chapters are engrossing. I was listening to some “ambient space music” while reading and it felt like I was experiencing a movie. Truly felt for the demise of certain characters and cannot wait for the next chapter.
