Star Wars: The High Republic Path of Deceit
Book by Tessa Gratton
DETAILS
Publisher : Disney Lucasfilm Press (October 4, 2022) Language : English Hardcover : 352 pages ISBN-10 : 1368076122 ISBN-13 : 978-1368076128 Reading age : 12 - 18 years Grade level : 7 - 12 Item Weight : 1 pounds , 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 Gray Out of the Shadows by Justina Ireland Midnight Horizon by Daniel José Older Read more
REVIEW
Tasked with re-launching The High Republic prequel Phase II (set 150 years before last year’s Phase I), Gratton and Ireland introduce Marda Ro, an ancestor of our Phase I villain, as a winsome protagonist whose innocence, faith, and curiosity drive the heart of the narrative. Set almost entirely on the planet Dalna, we get a deep look at an alternative Force cult known as the Path of the Open Hand which the novel’s title suggests is not entirely on the up and up. Indeed, the most intriguing aspects of the novel for me were the philosophical discussions between Marda, Jedi Padawan Kevmo Zink, and others about the nature of the Force and its relationship to the galaxy. Why bad things happen in a galaxy bound by the light of the Force emerges as the key question of this narrative and I must admit that the Path’s answer makes more sense to me than the Jedi’s. Indeed, the attractive premise of the Path’s belief is what distinguishes this book, makes Marda so likable, and maintains the narrative tension that keeps the story interesting. After much intriguing setup, however, the climax feels quite rushed and, at least for me, our main characters’ choices seemed to contradict the direction their philosophical arcs were bending. Then again, the true purposes and inner politics of the Path’s leaders are kept obscure until the end so perhaps everyone biding their time while hiding their personal agenda is a fitting conclusion to set up the next entry in the series. Overall, the High Republic made a bold move by stepping away from their expansive cast of new characters (just when they were becoming familiar) and asking fans to invest in another brand new, sprawling dramatic personae. In the case of Marda Ro and her cousin Yana, the gambit works for me. I am eager to see how the Path of the Open Hand eventually transforms into the Nihil we know from Phase I. Congratulations to LucasFilm Publishing for taking a big risk, opening another fresh century in the timeline to exploration and storytelling, and leaning into the spirituality of Star Wars, which should rightfully remain one of the franchise’s most engaging and illuminating themes. The sudden conclusion doesn’t take too much away from another great set-up for a another new era in the galaxy far, far away.
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