Review: Star Wars the High Republic- Into the Dark
Quick Summary
Pros: The first half of the book is a wonderful mix of thrilling suspense and well-executed character development. The characters are strong throughout the book. The book’s conclusion is well done and builds anticipation for more.
Cons: Portions of the book’s second half end up feeling more standard and less exciting than the first half.
Overall: This is a solid book overall and a great introduction to the High Republic era. The volume excels in creating a unique and suspenseful setting for the story and also in creating an intriguing cast of characters. This leads to highly enjoyable storytelling. There are a few places where things are just alright but, for the most part, the read is very fun. Overall, fans looking for a thrilling book in the High Republic era should consider checking this one out.
Story
Star Wars The High Republic: Into the Dark, by Claudia Gray, is an interesting and unique mix of positives. In some ways, the book feels standard but in others it pushes the borders on what this era of Star Wars stories is capable of.
The first half of the book almost plays out like a good horror movie. It features a creepy abandoned space station, threats from unclear enemies, and a general sense of dread that permeates the read. While this plays out, readers also become more invested in the characters and, simultaneously, more worried about what will happen to them. The result is an excellent character-driven horror that is a genuine blast to read.
The second half of the book doesn’t exactly maintain this same level of quality but is still enjoyable nonetheless. This portion of the read is a little more focused on action and drama, of the kind more standard to Star Wars properties. This changes the read to something more akin to a simply good Star Wars story. The best part about this portion of the work is that the characters remain strong the whole way through and their personal journeys are enjoyable to see.
The book’s conclusion also manages to really stick the landing. The ending wraps things up nicely and delivers a satisfactory end to the current storyline. It also leaves things open for revisiting in the future, something I would really like to see at some point in time.
Continuity
Star Wars the High Republic: Into the Dark takes place in the High Republic era of Star Wars history. This occurs long before the events of the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy.
This book also makes a few references to other Star Wars works:
- More about the High Republic era, Starlight Beacon, and more is explained in The High Republic: Light of the Jedi.