Tales of Light and Life

Star Wars: The High Republic

by Zoraida Córdova, Tessa Gratton, Lydia Kang

Thrilling short stories featuring fan favorite characters from the beloved High Republic series each written by a New York Times bestselling author.

Rejoin the adventures of the Jedi and Padawans, Pathfinders and Path members, and heroes and villains in these unmissable short stories that bridge storylines, resolve mysteries, and offer tantalizing hints of what is to come.

"The narrative progression from one story to the next creates a satisfying overarching plot that packs an emotional punch at its climax. Cohesive and captivating." —Kirkus Reviews



Zoraida Córdova, Tessa Gratton, Claudia Gray, Justina Ireland, Lydia Kang, George Mann, Daniel José Older, Cavan Scott, and Charles Soule

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Audiobook, Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult

400 pages, Hardcover

First published September 5, 2023

About the author

Zoraida Córdova is the author of many fantasy novels for kids and teens, including the award-winning Brooklyn Brujas series, Incendiary, and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge: A Crash of Fate. Her short fiction has appeared in the New York Times bestselling anthology Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View, Star Wars The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark, Come on In: 15 Stories About Immigration and Finding Home, and Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women and Witchcraft. She is the co-editor of the bestselling anthology Vampires Never Get Old. Her debut middle grade novel is The Way to Rio Luna. She is the co-host of the podcast Deadline City with Dhonielle Clayton. Zoraida was born in Ecuador and raised in Queens, New York. When she isn’t working on her next novel, she’s planning a new adventure.

NOTE: Direct messages on this account may not be seen. Send her an email at zoraidabooks@gmail.com

Reviews

[Jonathan Koan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Out of the 10 stories, in this collection here's what I thought:

3 Good/Great Stories
4 Ok stories (Didn't Love/Didn't Hate)
3 Bad Stories

Not the best batting average for a short story collection, but not abysmal. I only recommend this book to High Republic superfans, but don't consider it essential. I'll give the overall collection a 5.5 out of 10.

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Here are my thoughts on each of the stories.


1. The Queen’s Bloom by Zoraida Cordova: Follows Axel Greylark in college as he goes through some shenanagins at a party his parents are also at…meh.
2. A Closed Fist Has No Claws by Tessa Gratton: Follows Maria Ro as she recalls some memories and brings in new people into her new group, which leads to the Nihil…didn’t care for it.
3. Shield of the Jedi by George Mann: Padawan Rooper Natani is sent on a mission (or rather, her trial) to find her Master’s shield. Along the way, she is forced to help out local people dealing with a mythical creature threatening them. A good story!
4. The Lonely Traveler is Home by Daniel Jose Older: Follows Padawan Ram Jomaram as he tries to cheer up his homesick friend Zeen by throwing her a party, but for some reason he can’t get any of the planning to go right. A cute story, albeit not particularly amazing.
5. After the Fall by Claudia Gray: Follows Addie Hollow after the events of “The Fallen Star” and deals with figuring out what to do next. A fine story.
6. The Force Provides by Justina Ireland: Follows Vernestra Rwoh after “The Fallen Star” and shows her on her own path as a Wayseeker, getting entangled in a local guild dispute. A fine story.
7. All Jedi Walk Their Own Path by Charles Soule: Follows 2 stories from Bell Zettifar: One a flashback where he and Loden helped out on a planet, the main storyline about how Bell is searching for Burryaga on Eiram after the events of “The Fallen Star”. A good story.
8. Light in the Darkness by Cavan Scott: Focuses on new characters Hoi and Kian as they struggle in the Outer Rim due to the Nihil’s barrier stopping the High Republic forces, including Jedi, from reaching them….didn’t care for this one.
9. The Call of Coruscant by Lydia Kang: Padawan Amadeo Azzazzo and his master are called back to coruscant during a mission after “the Fallen Star” to plan the Jedi’s future against the Nihil. While on Coruscant, Amadeo goes exploring Coruscant and makes some unlikely friends: very good story!
10. Rogue Element by Alyssa Wong: A “bonus story” (Barnes and Noble Edition) featuring Crash and Svi’no on Corellia, finding a “Nihil-Jedi” and trying to uncover their identity and purpose on Corellia…ok.

[Ronja · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am writing this review a good two weeks after feasting on Tales of Light and Life. Looking through the notes I took after every story, there are a lot of “So many thoughts” and “I want them back”s - they are a good summary of how I felt about this anthology. But before I talk about my overall thoughts, I want to spend some time with the individual stories.


The “Queen’s Bloom” by Zoraida Còrdova tugged all the right strings in me. I was longing for a story where Axel Greylark appears truly happy, because that is what he deserves but we don’t really get to see this side of him, for his fathers death has made him cold. I loved the new facette we saw of him. It added a lot to his character, we learned more about who he was before he became the Mother’s Chaos and it all makes sense.
Zoraida managed to get me interested in a side character within two pages and I need to know more about her. For spoiler reasons, I can’t say much - but I truly hope we haven’t seen the last of her. Phase 2 is over, but I believe we will visit these characters again some day and I hope side-character is one of them.

Mike Siglain probably said, “Can you write us a short story?” and Tessa Gratton somehow understood “Can you slay?” That led to “A closed Fist has no Claws”. I don’t like to pick favorites but this story may have changed my life a little.
I had only read the stories Tessa had written with fellow luminous author Justina Ireland so reading what was purely her style was new to me and oh boy, it blew my mind. The Writing was Top Tier - I have no other words for it. I was able to picture every scene (and there are quite a few jumps in this one) so vividly without needing much description. I felt the energy of Marda’s moods. Her anger, frustration, desires and pain. This story reads like a letter. It felt like Marda was telling the story to me, personally.
No matter what you expect from it - this story has it all and it will be better than you imagined. Temptation, desire, betrayal. I have no idea how Tessa managed to pack all of that into one single short story, but I am in awe. If I had a trophy for “this writing blew my mind”, I would give it to them.

George Mann wrote one of the stories that had me screaming “I want them back!” “Shield of the Jedi” is a look into the future of Rooper and Silandra. I was so sure I knew where the plot was going. I thought Rooper was facing a challenge by her Master and it goes wrong - like we have seen so many times. But I stand corrected. It had a twist I didn’t expect. The story was a welcome breather to enjoy in between all the heaviness the High Republic holds and the high stakes of every adventure, especially in Phase 2.
In one sentence: I loved this story. It was sweet. Soft. Fun. So wholesome, that I teared up a few times. I really, really hope we get to see more of Rooper and Silandra at some point in the future. I didn’t realize how much they have grown near and dear to my heart until I read this.

I said earlier that I don’t like to pick favorites but if I had to, “The Lonely Traveler is Home” by Daniel Josè Older takes the throne. I had to take multiple breaks reading this, because I was crying. One of my notes reads “My god Daniel, how do you do this? I am in shambles” and it stands true. This story hit me deep. I didn’t expect that when I started it. Daniel has a talent for writing comedy that is also emotional and makes you cry. So this is by no means a sad story.
The way he describes the friendship of the Starhopper Padawans is unique and makes you long for what they have. At the same time it helps you realize that you might already have it and what caring can look like in different ways - open words of affection or keeping secrets like birthday presents. The story focuses on Ram and Zeen, two teenagers struggling to find their place in this big galaxy and allowing themselves to feel lost. I think we have all been at this point. This story provides comfort with how light it is.
I still think about it almost daily. The quote “When the heart smiles, the lonely traveler is home” has burned itself into my brain. Daniel packed a lot of little things into his story that we have been asking to see for ages. It made me laugh and cry - what do you want more?

“After the Fall" by Claudia Grey promised to be an emotional story, being set right after the Fall of Starlight Beacon and following the crew of the Vessel. We see everyone’s favorite rock, Geode, shine and meet some familiar Jedi. I enjoyed learning about how Eiram dealt with the aftermath of this tragedy. Though being called home by the Jedi Council, I couldn’t imagine them simply abandoning a planet in distress. It held its promise of being emotional and made my heart skip a beat at a certain point that I am sure all High Republic fans will have the same reaction too.
While this might have not been my favorite story in this anthology, I loved it and its returning characters a lot.

This story wins Justina Ireland the “Oh my god I did NOT expect that” award. “The Force Provides" is a saying we have heard a lot in Phase 2. I know the authors have revealed who they will be writing about, but my memory isn’t good enough to keep all of that, so I was fully expecting this story to be set in Phase 2 - instead we see Vernestra after the Fall of Starlight. I was shocked, to say the least.
Justina drops hints of what is happening in Phase 3 and I am very much scared by them. The tiny reveals have been painful and Vernestra is on a path I would have never guessed - not in my wildest dreams. She is just starting to find her way and I can not wait to see where it will lead her.
This story was topped by plot twists and betrayal I didn’t expect. It had so much going on, I am still processing it. I know social media will go insane coming up with theories about this one and I can’t wait for that.

Charles Soule’s “All Jedi walk their own Path" is another story with many unexpected turns. Other than Justinas' story, I did know this would be about Bell and his search for Burryaga. The story starts where Fallen Star left Bell off - refusing to leave the planet until he found his friend (dead or alive). Threaded into the narrative are flashbacks to Bell’s time as Loden Greatstorm’s Padawan, that I absolutely adored. I know we got a book full of Bell and Loden, but I still need more.
We all know Charles is a genius. I was so intrigued, I had to cover the bottom part of the page I was reading so I wouldn’t jump ahead. It was beautifully written and told a tale of hope in the darkest times. We learn a lot about Bell and how he sees the Jedi Order, thanks to his late Master, Loden. It was a reading experience I haven’t had in a long time and I loved every second of it.

Cavan Scott wrote one of two stories that introduces us to completely new characters and spend most of the story with them. “Light in the Darkness” is an interesting title for the story of the writer, who has (arguably) written the most depressing book(s) in the High Republic.
At the heart it is a classic Star Wars story - two siblings trying to save the day.
We are right in the middle of Phase 3 with this story. The Nihil are ruling part of the Outer Rim and planets are suffering under the pirates' reign. In the middle of it are the siblings trying to help what is left of their village to survive. It is a very sweet story and - yes - it is hopeful. The stakes are high as we follow a risky mission and learn about the fate of planets in the Occlusion Zone and their inhabitants. I am very excited to see where Cavan will take them (and what he will put them through) in the High Republic Comic Mainrun.

The other story introducing new characters is “The Call of Coruscant” by Lydia Kang. We meet Padawan Amadeo and his Master on their way back to the Great Jedi Temple. This story brought us a perspective on the Fall of Starlight that we haven’t seen yet - someone who isn’t directly affected by it. Amadeo didn’t know anyone on the space station; he hadn’t even made it to Starlight at all. The tragedy, to him, is like us Europeans watching news about another mass shooting in the USA. He is removed from it. Yes. people died, but he didn’t know any of them. I wouldn’t say he doesn’t care about the Fall of Starlight, but he is distanced from it.
Instead of what we expect to see from the characters that we have known for a few years now, he uses his visit on Coruscant to go out and explore. It was refreshing. Reading it, I realized that this was the POV I was missing. How does someone who wasn’t close to Starlight handle the catastrophe? Now we have part of the answer.
I think this was an interesting choice. Not to include any of our beloved characters but instead introduce us to new ones. I definitely expect to see them again very soon and with Lydia, they are in good hands.


I love how different the stories were at times. There was no restriction for the authors as to how to structure their stories and the book benefits from that. Zoraida parts her story in four acts, while Tessa jumps around with Marda like a Nihil ship with pathengine and Cavan tells us the story of a single day. I loved seeing them being able to be creative and write how they do best.

What I also enjoyed a lot was the mixture of heavy, sad stories mixed with sweet and wholesome tales. It was a good combination and gave you room to breathe when you needed it. The anthology perfectly captures what the High Republic is all about. If you want a sweet story about friendship, you pick up “The Lonely Traveler is Home ”. If you are in the mood for a midlife crisis, you read “The Force Provides" and if you need a good cry, you read “All Jedi walk their own Path". There is something for everyone. That is the beauty of The High Republic.

It is impressive how well mixed the stories are. Especially since they are not in a random order but follow a timeline - we start with Axel years before the events of Convergence, jump through Phase 1 and Phase 2 and end in the beginning of Phase 3, about 150 years after Axel’s time. Knowing this, I appreciate the mixture of genres even more.

While you will enjoy this book more if you have already read at least some other works of The High Republic, I think it also is a good entry point for everyone wanting to dip their toes into the Golden Age of the Jedi, due to its many facets. The anthology has made me very excited for Phase 3 and I will definitely dive back into these stories from time to time.

I give Tales of Light and Life by the luminous authors 5/5 stars.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My besties the jedi of the high republic i love you guys so much

[eclipse · Rating 4 out of 5]

the queen’s bloom: 4/5. ohhhh axel…my baby boy…stop making bad decisions.

a closed fist has no claws: 4.5/5. on the other hand marda you can make all the bad decisions you want. good luck with the cult/pirates/proto-nihil. slay.

shield of the jedi: 4/5. YES. THE GLUP SHITTO. rooper ily 💚.

the lonely traveler is home: 4/5. i love when jedi are found family 🩷🩷🩷.

after the fall: 4/5 for the story, 5/5 for geode. icon.

the force provides: 5/5. as a vernestra shatterpoint lineage truther this one is for ME. thats my girl 💜.

all jedi walk their own path: 4.5/5. i no longer have to worry about burryaga thank u charles soule.

light in the darkness: 4/5. not usually a fan of first person pov but this DID make me cry (from joy).

the call of coruscant: 4/5. coruscant you are thee planet of all time.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was painful—painfully good. I am so excited, yet scared, to go into phase 3. 🙃

[Jazmin Castro · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC

[Chelsea Zukowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

The collection is a must-read for those who’ve been keeping up with The High Republic. However, unlike other High Republic reads, Tales of Light and Life comes with prerequisites, as the book contains massive spoilers for Phases 1 and 2.

From my review for Dork Side of the Force:

My favorite story of the anthology, “A Closed Fist Has No Claws” by Tessa Gratton, followed Marda Ro after the events of Path of Vengeance.

It’s a dark and intense thriller that further connects the former Path of the Open Hand Force cult to its eventual evolution into the ruthless Nihil marauders. Out of all the stories in Tales of Light and Life, this is the one I never wanted to end.

Marda is one of my favorite characters in The High Republic and possibly all of Star Wars. There’s just something about women in their villain eras, and Marda’s post-Phase 2 story shows her taking a seriously dark turn.

The rest of Tales of Light and Life ventures back to the future with characters and stories from Phase 1.

The least interesting of the collection was, unfortunately, “The Lonely Traveler Is Home” by Daniel José Older. The story follows Ram Jomaram and some of the other High Republic Padawans as the Jedi tinkerer tries to plan a surprise party for a homesick friend on the soon-to-be doomed Starlight Beacon.

The final two stories by Cavan Scott and Lydia Kang feature key hints to what’s coming in Phase 3 — which arrives this fall with George Mann’s The Eye of Darkness.

“Light in the Darkness” follows a group of natives on an Outer Rim planet that’s been overrun by the Hutt Cartel. In the aftermath of Starlight Beacon’s demise, the Nihil have set up a nearly impenetrable Stormwall in the Outer Rim that bars exit and entry.

“The Call of Coruscant” features a new Padawan-Master duo who are called back to Coruscant after Starlight’s fall. The dual-POV story follows master Mirro Lox as he grapples with the recent tragedy and loss of his friends along with a bit of his Padawan’s struggles with his life as a Jedi learner.

Overall, Tales of Light and Life is a fun and fast-paced addition to The High Republic’s repertoire. Some stories are short and sweet, while others pack a gut punch with explorations of Jedi grief and guilt.

For High Republic completionists, it’s an essential read. But it’s also a delectable appetizer for the next phase of High Republic storytelling.

[emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

TESSA GRATTON YOU MASTERMIND

[Tyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

maybe the real light and life were the friends we made along the way

[Bryce · Rating 5 out of 5]

The High Republic team once again delivers with an all-encompasing collection of short stories spanning the entirety of the High Republic timeline, with some hinting at what is to come in Phase III (and I'm scared.) In most anthologies there are often weak links but I felt that every story in this collection was strong in its own right. That being said, there were ones I definitely enjoyed over others but each were great and had something unique to offer and I really appreciate the High Republic team really going into the "have a format for everybody" thing.

Ratings are out of five. Minor spoilers.


"The Queen's Bloom" by Zoraida Córdova

Main Character: Axel Greylark

Phase: II

Rating: 4

This one was pure Axel and takes place during his time at university, which officially makes this the earliest story in the Star Wars timeline so far. This one was engaging and sweet, and I loved seeing Axel get to interact with his dad as well as meeting Elecia for the first time. It was certainly interesting seeing what she was up to before she became The Mother. This was a great story to start the anthology and the prose was fresh and descriptive.


"A Closed Fist Has No Claws" by Tessa Gratton

Main Character: Marda Ro

Phase: II

Rating: 5

This was by far the most violent of all the stories, but it was just amazing. I loved loved loved the way it was written and also seeing how Marda went from sweet and naive Path member to ruthless and manipulative founder of the Nihil. This one kept me on the edge of my seat and, despite the horrible things she does, made me feel sympathy for Marda. This was definitely one of the stand-out stars of the anthology.


"Shield of the Jedi" by George Mann

Main Character: Rooper Nitani

Phase: II

Rating: 4 (original rating 3)

While this is a young adult anthology and the main character is now eighteen, this one felt more like a middle grade story and lacked the emotional depth of the other stories. The plot seemed rather basic, but it was still a fun story and it was great to be on Batuu again.


"The Lonely Traveler is Home" by Daniel José Older

Main Character: Ram Jomaram

Phase: I

Rating: 3.5

Like the previous story, this one felt more like a middle grade than a young adult and some of the older characters acted slightly immature. That being said, this is definitely one of the more light hearted and sweet ones of the anthology and I really enjoyed it. Ram and Zeen never fail to make me smile and Daniel José Older's writing is engaging and humorous.


"After the Fall" by Claudia Gray

Main Character: Affie Hollow

Phase: I/III

Rating: 5 (original rating 4.5)

Claudia Gray is a masterful story teller and I really enjoyed the return to characters that she introduced in the first HR YA book. It was also enjoyable to see the continuation of the events after Starlight fell on Eiram and the reactions of the Eirami, passengers on Starlight, and the Jedi. I also felt outraged on Affie's behalf when the pirate captain was blaming her for everything, but I also appreciated Affie's maturity and determination to put things right, since it's true she really was responsible for the collapse of the Byne Guild. This reminded me of an episode in the new Ahsoka show when Ahsoka says, "Sometimes even the right reasons have the wrong consequences."


"The Force Provides" by Justina Ireland

Main Character: Vernestra Rwoh

Phase: III

Rating: 4.5 (original rating 4)

Oh, Vern. This one made me sad, as Vernestra deals with her own emotions in the aftermath of Starlight's fall. The plot of this story was intriguing, but I also wanted to know more about her thoughts and feelings about Starlight, especially since apparently Imri and Avon were onboard when it fell. This information came as a bit of a shock and it feels a little weird that something so important like that happened off-page. It was also rather vague whether or not Imri and Avon survived, perished, were missing, or captured. Obviously Avon survived, as she's set to appear in the upcoming YA novel for Phase III, but it felt weird to me that Vernestra wasn't that worried about Imri or even bothering to try and find him, like Bell is with Burry. If he really is dead, that feels really weird that such a lovable character perished off page. But I trust Justina Ireland and her plans for Vern and Imri, so hopefully we'll get answers when Phase III kicks off.


"All Jedi Walk Their Own Path" by Charles Soule

Main Character: Bell Zettifar

Phase: III

Rating: 5

*crying face emoji* This one was heartbreaking on two accounts, as part of this story is told in flashbacks. In the present, Bell is searching for Burry after the fall of Starlight, and though Lucasfilm decided for some reason to announce that Burry survived weeks ago on the High Republic Show, it still kept me on the edge of my seat out of concern for both Bell and Burry. The flashbacks tell a story of when Loden was still alive and their mission to bring peace to a war loving planet. It was amazing to have more Loden, and the way this story was written was reminiscent of Bell and Loden's dymanic as first shown in Soule's "Light of the Jedi". Also, the boat being named the "Queen Xiri" was a nice touch.


"Light in the Darkness" by Cavan Scott

Main Character: Kian / Keeve Trennis

Phase: III

Rating: 3.5

This one was interesting and showed how the Nihil's destruction of Starlight impacted the rest of the galaxy. Having Keeve be in written prose was amazing, since she's mostly in the comics. It was a bit of a surprise to find that Ceret and Terec now have cybernetic implants, due to injuries sustained by the Nameless, but I suppose it makes sense.


"The Call of Coruscant" by Lydia Kang

Main Character: Amadeo Azzazzo

Phase: III

Rating: 3.5

This one was unique as it was the only story to feature a completely new cast of characters, but it was still a provacative story and it was especially interesting to see how new characters respond to events that familiar characters have gone through/caused. I hope that we'll get to see Amadeo and his master again, as they were both cool characters.


Like I said earlier, all of the stories were excellent, though some I liked better than others and I would have liked a little more queer rep, but whatever. My favorites were probably "A Closed Fist Has No Claws" "After the Fall" and "All Jedi Walk Their Own Path". This is definitely a must-read for every High Republic fan!
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//////////////////////// edits from second read through;


“Rogue Element” by Alyssa Wong

Main Characters: Crash Ongwa, Ruu

Phase: III

Rating: 5

This story was only included in the B&N exclusive edition so I didn’t read it the first time, but I liked it a lot (as I do all of Alyssa Wong’s SW work). It was great to be reunited with Crash, now authored by her namesake, and I loved the inclusion of a transmasc character!


I think I enjoyed this more the second time around, when I’m not desperate for answers now that we’re firmly in Phase III. Vern’s story makes a lot more sense now, and it’s great to have Burry back. Something I did notice this time around is Cavan Scott’s short story is written in first person, present tense while all the other stories are written in third person, past tense. It doesn’t necessarily affect the story but I did find it odd and occasionally distracting that it was written differently than all the others. Also, while I always want more queer rep, I did find it to be quite prevalent this time despite my initial impression. Anyway, this is a meaningful and heartwarming anthology and I’m so glad it exists <3

[Billy Jepma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real solid little collection of short stories to bridge the gap between Phases 2 and 3 of The High Republic. I question the decision to relegate some of these stories a to “missable” anthology—the one about Bell and Burryaga comes to mind immediately—but the quality is here for the majority of the pages. Some of the stories are slight, as can be expected, but the ones that hit are great. Special shoutouts to Gratton, Soules, and Kang’s stories, which were my easy favorites.

Overall, this was a welcome way to get me back on the series’ wavelength and eager to get back to the characters I’m invested in, especially after being mixed on a lot of the choices made for Phase 2.

[ina m · Rating 5 out of 5]

i liked every story im not going to lie

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this. It was so refreshing to get some new THR stories and to revisit the Phase I characters. Each story was put together so nicely and made me love those characters just a bit more. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a fun and quick read.

[Nova · Rating 5 out of 5]

literally everytime they mentioned stellan it was like a stab to the gut

[Neil R. Coulter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through all of the High Republic, I've wanted the authors to spend more time with individual characters. So often entire books feel like only plot points moving toward the next event that will involve a bunch of characters. So Tales of Light and Life came as a surprise: short stories that focus on just one or two main characters, sometimes telling one complete story rather than part of a story that won't conclude until the next book. Though I didn't love all the stories, I appreciated the choice to begin Phase 3 with deeper focus on selected characters. I know that probably won't last as the phase continues, but I have enjoyed the lead-ins to the final part of the era.

Opinions on each story:

"The Queen's Bloom"—No, I didn't need an entire story about young Axel Greylark.

"A Closed Fist Has No Claws"—I'm glad this fills in some of the gaps between the Path of the Open Hand/Closed Fist and the Nihil (Where does "the Eye" title come from? Where did Marchion come from?), but it felt too quick. This would have been better as a full novel, as so much character development needs to happen with Marda.

"Shield of the Jedi"—Yes, excellent. Silandra was one of my favorite characters from Phase 2, and this story plays like an episode of the original Clone Wars animated series (which I will always feel nostalgic about). Very nice character development with Silandra and Rooper.

"The Lonely Traveler Is Home"—Another no. Ram Jomaram is by far one of my least favorite characters, and this story felt like a Wesley Crusher–focused episode of Star Trek.

"After the Fall"—I'm always a fan of Leox and Geode, even though Affie usually has to be involved as well. This is a good story covering the lingering trauma and grief post-Starlight. It's interesting to see Affie begin to put together her own guild, and I look forward to seeing how that develops through this phase.

"The Force Provides"—As with "A Closed Fist," I thought this story warrants a full book. These few pages take Vernestra through a lot of changes that we ought to get more time with—especially since these developments will be important for where she's at in The Acolyte. Also, I was relieved to read a Vernestra story where she's not side-quested with a bunch of children.

"All Jedi Walk Their Own Path"—Really good story structure with the two timelines, and I enjoyed seeing more of Loden in his prime. Along with the Silandra story, this is my favorite part of the collection.

"Light in the Darkness"—I understand what this story is trying to do (broadening the scope of the Nihil's oppressive reign), but I just didn't care for the new characters. I lost interest well before Keeve showed up.

"The Call of Coruscant"—This one reminded me not of the original Clone Wars but the second version of that series. The story feels like one of those where Ahsoka has a one-off adventure on Coruscant, or near then end when she leaves the Order and takes up with a couple of uninteresting characters I can't remember. Also, every time Amadeo's name is spoken, I go right back to Falco's song.

Overall, a really good start to Phase 3—so good, I wish Marc Thompson had been the narrator for the audiobook.

[Yanik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love short stories and it is my opinion that we could do with a whole lot more Star Wars short story anthologies. That this collection is wholly set in the High Republic makes it even better.
I had some general trouble getting into it (with all the books I was currently reading), but enjoyed most stories.
Tales of Light and Life does a great job at highlighting the diversity of storytelling in THR. It connects the 3 phases even more and tells some intermediate stories to tie up storylines, progress character arcs or just highlight a location or setting that the bigger books don't get to.
I’ll do a short, spoiler free, review of them all here.

The Queen’s Bloom-Córdova
The only story set before any of the book, which might make it the earliest of canon stories?
It concerns younger years of Axel Graylark and I was glad to return to that character. It sets him up nicely and follows him during moments that would form him later. The plot itself was okay, nothing too interesting. But I liked the character interactions and loved the titular event!

A Closed Fist has no Claws-Gratton
A post-phase 2 story concerning Marda. It’s written in a journal or memoir kind of address to her descendants. The ties to what would become the Nihil are being connected to Phase 2 and there is quite some brutality on display. I once again loved Gratton’s writing.

Shield of the Jedi-Mann
Follows Silandra Sho’s charismatic and fun padawan. I loved the internalization of her thoughts and dialogues and the interactions with Sho whom I already loved as a character. I don’t want to give away too much about the plot or setting, but I really enjoyed the experience.

The Lonely Traveler is Home-Older
DNF. Like with Midnight Horizon before, I could not finish this due to the writing, dialogue and general storytelling style. Sadly, Older seems to be my least favorite novel writer of the Luminous authors. (Trail of Shadows was fantastic though) It follows Ram and his bumbling around with friends. Basic, shallow thoughts and vocabulary and a weird kind of exaggerated interactions; not for me.

After the Fall-Gray
Affie and the crew of The Vessel! Always love reading more about them. The story itself was okay and I liked how it progressed Affie’s character arc. There’s some especially excellent Geode moments in there.
From here on out all stories are post-phase 1

The Force Provides-Ireland
I originally skipped this one as I thought it dealt with the aftermath of Midnight Horizon which I was forcing myself to finish before I read this. MH was a big let down and this story wasn't connected at all. It wasn't at all a let down though, Ireland once again proves herself one of the best character and worldbuilders among the Luminous authors. It does so many wonderful things.
It progresses Vernestra's arc, has her on an adventure on a beautiful new planet on the edge of Wild Space and has an inspiring plot that aids both Vern and the lore of the galaxy. It also introduces us to a pirate princess which I would absolutely love to see a full story on! Loved it.:)

All Jedi Walk Their Own Path-Soule
Fantastic and expertly told short story, I really wish Soule did more novels. Follows Bell in his search for Burryaga with intermittent flashback to his training with Loden. We get to see Jedi do ordinary work and being forces of good, without using the force. There's also some nice maritime storytelling, which I love.
Very touching moments and parallels between him learning and putting his training and growth in practice.

Light in the Darkness-Scott
First person POV narrative from a young lady as her planet is conquered by the Hutts and darkness is left in the wake of the Jedi leaving. I really liked it and loved the interactions we got to see with a certain Jedi Master. I am glad Scott’s writing has been growing on me. His way of immersing you into the local culture of these aliens and the fear they experience was very well done.

The Call of Coruscant-Kang
Loved it! We follow a Padawan and his master wile switching between their very different POVs. The main theme here is the Jedi code and how different people deal with it. Mainly, the boundaries between attachment and compassion. We get to see a lot of the inner Temple workings and the lower regions of Coruscant, both things I can never get enough of. The story ends very satisfyingly (though I would have liked it just as well if things turned out differently) and I hope we get to see more of these two characters.

Overall I really enjoyed this. I loved the tying up of threads and plots and the continuing of arcs of characters. There were wonderful continuities and connections between the phases and some bittersweet moments as character’s stories were concluded. I really hope we’ll get more of this kind of thing, whether THR or a different era. It would be one of many wonderful ways the era could be expanded upon after Phase 3 finally ends.
Saying goodbye to the fantastic Phase 2 via this way was wonderful and catching up with Phase 1 characters before Phase 3 begins has gotten met hyped to continue that storyline!

[Stacie]

This book was such a fun read! If you are a Star Wars fan, I cannot recommend the High Republic books enough. It can feel overwhelming because of the number of books but there are lots of reading order guides out there (but I always recommend publication order). The High Republic Era covers about 400-500 years before A New Hope and is set up similar to the movies: Phase 1-the Original, Phase 2- the Prequels, and Phase 3 will be the Sequels.

[Javier Fontecilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to be honest. I didn't like the first two stories, but then the book got better. Shield of the Jedi was fun. After the Fall was amazing, as were the stories that followed.
I occasionally had to stop and look up a name I couldn't remember, but then it all flowed together perfectly.

[Matthew Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has about 10 short stories set in phase 1 and 2 of the high republic era. Half the stories are entertaining and great. The other half are hard to read and are worth skipping.

[Ben A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short story collections are always a mixed bag because some are bound to be better than others and this one is no exception but it really helped to remind me just how attached I am to a majority of these characters.

[Ian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nine stories from across Phases I and II of The High Republic timeline, told by the main contributing authors of the High Republic publishing programme.
Among the characters featured are young Axel Greylark, Marda Ro, Rooper Nitani, Ram Jomaram, Affie Hollow, Vernestra Rwoh, Bell Zettifar, Keeve Trennis and Amadeo Azzazzo.

This is, of course, a mixed bag in terms of content and quality but the biggest surprise for me was that I actually most enjoyed the stories following on from the Fall of Starlight Beacon, whereas overall my preference of the High Republic programme as a whole has been the setting of Phase II, 150+ years earlier. I think it's because there's inherently more emotional content to be mined among the Jedi and Republic characters at a time when they've suffered a solid and devastating defeat at the hands of the Nihil.

Unfortunately, the bad and bland stories here outweigh the good ones, leaving the anthology as a whole feeling like something of a damp squib and a missed opportunity.
The worst offender, to my mind at least, was Daniel Jose Older's story 'The Lonely Traveller Is Home', in which Ram Jomaram tries to plan a surprise party for his friend but finds his plans foiled at every turn, only to discover it's because his friends have been planning a surprise party for him the whole time. Just recapping that made me want to vomit. It's so trite and saccharine as to be totally inane and, frankly, derivative of any number of children's picture books or terrible kids' TV shows. That story alone is a millstone around the neck of this anthology which none of the other stories is strong enough to counteract.

* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tales of Light and Life Engages Fans of Both Phases

... and sets the stage for the third, one might add, as the Young Adult anthology includes stories set both before Phase II and after Phase I. This may initially sound confusing, but due to the chronological structure of the book, it is not. So, before the third phase of the High Republic kicks off in October, the creative minds behind the project treat us to a collaborative work releasing September 5th. In Tales of Light and Life, each member of the team contributes a Young Adult short story, representing both previous phases and featuring both familiar and new characters. This spoiler-free review explores how these short stories fit into the overall narrative of the High Republic and whether they are worthwhile or just a nice-to-have.

A brief side note: The reviewed work is the standard edition, so I could provide no opinion on the short story by Alyssa Wong, exclusively printed in the US Barnes & Noble edition. While I appreciate the existence of such a special edition for those with access to it, I find this publishing strategy somewhat questionable. Treating an entire story as an exclusive extra seems unfair to international audience as well als Alyssa Wong. An alternative addition, such as a poster or bookmark, would have been more appropriate.

The Queen’s Bloom by Zoraida Córdova

In The Queen’s Bloom by Convergence author Zoraida Córdova, we delve into Axel Greylark's student days. I won't spoil much about the content of the 30 to 45-page story to let you discover the plot for yourself. Overall, I enjoyed the first short story, although it took a bit of time to pick up momentum. I particularly liked the characterization of the protagonist and the direct insight into his thoughts and feelings. The story remained focused on his inner world, and a surprising twist kept me engaged. It makes Axel Greylark a more rounded and complex character, benefiting both him and Zoraida Córdova's short story.

A Closed Fist Has No Claws by Tessa Gratton

Tessa Gratton is my personal favorite addition to the project and proves her worth with her story about Marda Ro, breaking from the typical third-person Star Wars narrative to use the first person. The exact nature of this story remains largely unclear until the end. A diary entry? A holovid? An epic speech? Even the addressed party remains mostly mysterious, creating a sense of being personally addressed as a reader. This gives you quite a lot of goosebumps. Tessa Gratton tells a journey that could have filled an entire novel, answering more questions than the entire second phase. Marda's story transforms from the tragic tale of a manipulated, trusting woman into that of a fearsome, ruthless villain. A closed fist may not have claws, but Tessa Gratton's short story certainly does!

Shield of the Jedi by George Mann

To ease the emotions from Ro's story, let's return to the Jedi. George Mann writes about Silandra Sho and Rooper Nitani, a Master-Apprentice duo introduced in his first The High Republic novel. This helps maintain consistency for the characters, despite the intermediate story by Tessa Gratton (Quest for Planet X) and a few years' time jump. Shield of the Jedi isn't a life-changing tale, but it delivers a beautiful lesson for its protagonist, Rooper, leaving me with a warm feeling and bringing tears to my eyes with its last line. Fans of the two women and the symbolism of the shield will enjoy this story a lot.

The Lonely Traveler is Home by Daniel José Older

Fans of Phase I may breathe a sigh of relief - we're back home. Unlike the main character in Daniel José Older's story. Ram Jomaram is on Starlight Beacon, far from his workshop on Valo, doing everything to keep his focus on his friend Zeen Mrala's feelings, not his own. Daniel José Older once again led me through a range of emotions within just a few pages. He breathes life into the setting of Starlight Beacon, captivating readers with its bustling atmosphere. I not only laughed out loud but also shed a few tears, taking away healtfelt messages from the story for myself. Expect typical Older feel-good vibes mixed with the right blend of serious emotions and wisdom. If you want to smile, this story is the place to be.

After the Fall by Claudia Gray

Claudia Gray tells the first story within the anthology that goes beyond the events Phase I. Set one day, one week, and one month after the fall of Starlight Beacon, the story mainly follows Affie Hollow's emotional state. After somewhat disappointing stories from Claudia Gray lately (both The Fallen Star and her two comic one-shots didn't convince me), she is slowly returning to her old strength with this one. Claudia Gray shines when she focuses on a single character, as evidenced by this story. With a few cameos and sprinkled information about the galaxy's status, the reader feels immersed in a real world with genuine, understandable emotions and reactions from those affected by the tragedies. Emotional and impactful passages are also present. Towards the end, the story veers into what I find a somewhat unbelievable and overly straightforward resolution of a conflict. Still, being a short story, this can be forgiven. However, I could do without another barrage of Geode jokes in the future.

The Force Provides by Justina Ireland

...is no longer just a cult phrase but, when interpreted in the right way, can be a truth for every Jedi. Describing stories set after Phase I without spoilers is not easy, so I'll stick to my impression: The Force Provides manages to grip you emotionally, even if, like its protagonist, you sometimes wonder why you embarked on this particular journey. Overall, this story likely serves as an explanation for Vernestra Rwoh's whereabouts and provides answers about the fate of certain characters. Justina Ireland presents pain and loss differently than Claudia Gray before her, leaving readers feeling lost yet determined. And, as often in life, in the end you will things may feel meaningless at the moment but eventually lead you into the right direction.

All Jedi Walk Their Own Path by Charles Soule

In Charles Soule's story about Bell after the fall of Starlight Beacon, the name says it all. The story, which uses flashbacks, not only tells of Bell's search for Burryaga but also recounts a mission of Bell and his former master, Loden Greatstorm. Soule skillfully weaves the threads of both plots together, turning the moral—or the title—of the story into two heartwarming moments from Bell's life. It's a bit unfortunate that The High Republic Show has already revealed Burryaga's fate, robbing this story of some suspense. Nevertheless, it convinced me with its excellent exploration of Bell's past and his inner struggles.

Light in the Darkness by Cavan Scott

Cavan Scott also chose to write his story about the siblings Kian and Hoi from the first-person perspective. Like Tessa Gratton, he immediately creates intimacy with his protagonist, although it is more a pleasant fellow than Marda Ro. Though I didn't connect strongly with the siblings, Cavan Scott effectively builds tension and contrasts Kian's fear with Hoi's courage. The story truly moved me when familiar characters entered the scene, which is a bit unfortunate regarding the new characters, but ultimately, we were most interested in this Young Adult anthology because of the return of our old favorites. An what a return this is! Cavan Scott also brings the Hutts back into play in his story, an interesting conflict in the current chaotic galaxy, which, according to teasers for the comic, will be revisited later. Towards the end, the tears I shed were mainly caused by a known character and their newfound wisdom, and I won't forget this scene anytime soon.

The Call of Coruscant by Lydia Kang

Lydia Kang immerses you in the call of Coruscant on two levels. Firstly, there's the actual recall of the Jedi to the capital planet's temple, and secondly, there's the allure of the city itself. In Lydia Kang's story, we meet two new characters who I quickly found endearing. In contrast to the previous story, those new characters seemed more in control of and like the main characters of their own story, and therefore they appeared more nuanced to me. Perhaps this is because I could identify with the themes that Padawan Amadeo Azzazzo and Master Mirro Lox deal with better. While Amadeo faces a choice regarding his future for the first time, Mirro becomes aware of the transience of life. We only get a brief glimpse into these emotional worlds, but it's enough for me to want to see more of these characters in Phase III. Lydia Kang also gives character to the city, providing a pleasant mix of internal conflicts and an environment that underscores these conflicts. Surprisingly, this is one of the best stories in this collection for me!

Tales of Light and Life as a Whole

All in all, I highly recommend the Tales of Light and Life anthology. Those who enjoyed Phase II will appreciate glimpses into the past and future of some characters. Those who love Phase I will feel like coming home. And those who enjoy both phases should hurry to the bookstore and devour these stories. Admittedly, the absence of Alyssa Wong's story leaves a somewhat bitter taste. I'd be happy to provide a brief review when it arrives in the fall, thanks to friends or perhaps a digital release. Nevertheless, the Young Adult anthology is already a lot of fun. It encompasses a range of emotions: from joy and warmth to fear and shivers to sorrow, loss, and hope—neither these feelings nor the characters are short in significance. Naturally, some stories are more relevant than others, but even a slice of life can be enjoyable and make this era more expansive, nuanced, and bright. Personally, I liked A Closed Fist Has No Claws by Tessa Gratton, The Lonely Traveler is Home by Daniel José Older, and The Call of Coruscant by Lydia Kang the most. However, I could empathize with every short story, and in some cases, even shed tears. Not a single story is bad or average, and depending on your favorite character, phase, or setting, everyone will find something suitable and take away important emotional messages. Overall, that message is mostly this: For Light and Life!

This is a translation of my German review originally published here: https://jedi-bibliothek.de/2023/07/re...

[Thomas]

Queen's Bloom
2/5 stars

Zoraida Cordova's first attempt to write a more intimate story within The High Republic, an easier task than her failure to write with an ensemble cast in Convergence. Is it telling that I still don't find her writing any more interesting, or consider Axel Greylark a better character now that he's had the opportunity to shine on his own? Instead, while there were a few moments that were worth sticking around in this story for (such as the unexpected betrayal of Axel's love interest, or the fact that Elecia was a thief crew leader before she joined the Path of the Open Hand), none of them are given the chance they deserve to become something good. The whole lead-up to the story was a chore to get through. Had Cordova not followed Lydia Kang's lead and written him as a crybaby, it might have been interesting to follow. But lines such 'I like your potential and your chaos' do not land as they should because Axel doesn't do anything to be chaotic, other than let himself be led along by events. The whole idea of breaking into the Queen's Blossom ball wasn't even his...

I'll reserve final judgment on Cordova's skill as a writer for when I've read her next contribution in Phase III, but so far, she still doesn't deserver her place among the Luminous. Nor do I see the point of this short story, but I seem to be the only one to feel that way. Axel Greylark suffered even more atrociously than Kylo Ren at the hands of his authors, who don't seem to know what motivations to give him (bearing in mind that I loved Kylo's arc in both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi; it's the conclusion that failed to do him justice.). This story is emblematic of the wider issues with Phase II: it explains something about Axel's past that wasn't even really that necessary. Was Axel already rebelling against his parents before his dad's death? Sure, maybe just not as extremely. Was he close to his dad? Yes, we know that. Is he a flirt? Well, no, as it turns out. For all the ink spilled to tell us that in Convergence, Axel reads here like a boy smitten rather than a player. Such a shame. If you were going to write a story about Axel's past, shouldn't it have been the one that made him the way he was: the death of his father? Apparently not...

A Closed Fist Has No Claws
5/5 stars

Tessa Gratton does it again. And finally brings Marda Ro full circle. The journey she started with her first heartbreak in Path of Deceit, which continued in unexpected (and not always welcome) ways in Path of Vengeance, is finally complete. I have my issues with the way the Evereni have been handled since their very first introduction in The Eye of the Storm. While they felt suitably alien in that story, Phase II turned them into far more generic characters to fit with the Young Adult romance vibes of Path of Deceit and Path of Vengeance (this is a slight criticism however, since both both Gratton and Cavan Scott handled those elements incredibly well). But Marda's journey was one of the few compelling character arcs of Phase II and it feels right that this is how it should end. The poor girl has endured so much pain and betrayal in a short time, lost faith in everything she ever believed in and discovered that the world she believed in was far more brutal than she ever imagined.

It's no surprise that she developed the extreme philosophy that her descendants will inherit and eventually transmit to Marchion Ro. Which is why it's appropriate that Gratton chose to write this story as a message transmitted by Marda to her descendants. Marda has always had maternal instincts, instincts that even her traumatic experiences weren't able to crush completely. But they did twist them into something harder and crueler. People who have experienced intense pain will do anything to avoid feeling that way again. Including inflicting lesser pains on themselves to avoid feeling what they are afraid of. That's the lesson Marda has learnt, the one she will pass on: that fear is the ultimate weapon, the thing that most people will distance themselves. Surround yourself with fear and no one will ever hurt you.

Gratton also gives us our best look at the Evereni culture since Eye of the Storm, a welcome development that I enjoyed incredibly. And she proved once again how talented she is, writing this very intimate, dark tale of a broken girl determined never to let herself or any of her descendants feel that kind of pain ever again.

My one slight regret is that she didn't include a more general dislike of religion for Marda. The Jedi shouldn't be the only ones to represent what Marda hates now that she has turned her back on the Path of the Open Hand philosophy. Religions are meant to represent salvation, an end to fear. Having had her own religious beliefs destroyed, it wouldn't have been a huge stretch for Marda to develop a viceral hate for the entire concept.

Shield of the Jedi
3/5 stars

For a moment at the start, it seemed that George Mann was doing everything I wanted him to do. The best moments in Star Wars, the ones I have always preferred, are the ones the master and apprentice ones, the times when the story tries to teach someting, embracing what Star Wars has alwasy been at its core: a cautionary tale. Mann brings back his favourite Jedi characters for this, two of the few Jedi of Phase II who actually made an impression among the sea of generic archetypes the others ended up being: the shield-wielding Silandra Sho and her Padawan, Rooper Nitani. Sho wants Rooper to take her Trials and, for that, she only has a simple task to accomplish: she must find Silandra's shield. I loved that premise! So simple and, in keeping with the tradition of Jedi Masters, not quite what it seems.

And my favourite droid from the High Republic Era is along for the ride: P3-7A, the preacher droid who can only speak in religious epitaths. If you haven't experienced him in all his glory, be sure to listen to Mann's Battle of Jedha audiodrama; P3's a hoot. And particularly frustrating and unhelpful when Rooper needs him. And I love it!!

Which is why the utlimate lesson ultimately proves somewhat disappointing. Silandra's aim is clearly to show Rooper that helping is what a Jedi is meant to do, protecting those who cannot protect themselves. But Mann can't quite get out of his own way and, as usual, he has to include a monster in his story, turning it into something more convoluted than it had to be. I was certain that Silandra had hidden her shield in P3, in plain sight and so close to Rooper the whole time. As she rushed around to meet her deadline, she would have been confronted with every day problems around her and would have had to make the choice to sacrifice her own personal desires for their needs. That is partly the lesson Mann tries to get across, but the inclusion of monsters just adds unnecessary exposition to the tale. Nevertheless, this is a fun story and it mostly has to do with my own expectations that I can't quite judge this story as highly as it might deserve. One thing is for certain: if the other Jedi of Phase II had gotten half the attention that Mann gives Silandra and Rooper in Shield of the Jedi, they wouldn't have been quite as forgetful in a publishing initiative which has received praise for its memorable Jedi characters.

I'll miss Rooper and Silandra, and I am unlikely to see them again. But I am holding out hope that I might see P3 again. After all, never underestimate a droid.

The Lonely Traveller is Home

Daniel José Older can't resist, can he? Any High Republic story he writes has to include Ram Jomaram or Zeen Mrala. And he'd rather write about an event that doesn't connect to anything that's going on in the larger galaxy, or rewrite something he already wrote in another project because he really likes that scene (like he did in Midnight Horizon when he rewrote a whole section from an issue of The High Republic Adventures). This isn't to say that this story isn't fun or sweet, or that it is bad because it isn't. What it is is... blah. There is nothing memorable about this story at all. I had to look up what it was about to remember it before writing this review. After a year away from Phase I, I was hoping for an update of what the Padawans were up to after the fall of Starlight Beacon. But no. The Beacon still exists in this story. No new info. No going back to Corellia to check in on the charactes Older practically neglected in Midnight Horizon by including way to many. Nothing of the sort. Just more of the same from Older, absolutely nothing he hasn't done before.

I'm not even bothering to grade this story, that's how uninteresting I found it.

After the Fall
5/5 stars

I spent almost the whole of this tale grinning like an idiot. The reason why? Not A reason: many, many reasons. Because it feels so good to finally continue the story Phase I started so long ago and which was so rudely interrupted by Phase II (which really, really wasn't worth it). Because we finally get to return to interesting, crowd-pleasing characters like Affie Hollow and Leox Gyasi rather than endure yet another futile attempt to make Axel Greylark fail at reaching his untapped potential. Because Geode!!!!! And because Claudia Gray is finally back to writing for The High Republic, after almost a year away (barring a single, one-shot comic with Quest of the Jedi).

All Jedi Walk Their Own Path
5/5 stars

When Charles Soule really wants to, he can be a great author. This short story could not have come soon enough, considering I've been slowly realising that I don't like Soule nearly as much as I thought I did. Here, he doesn't put a comma wrong. Everything makes sense. Even the decision to use a flashback sequence, allowing us to spend more time with a character Phase I took from us too soon, isn't fan service or another of Soule's attempts to use up everything he's imagined for the story. It doesn't hurt that this story does what Shield of the Jedi did too: master and apprentice time. Bell Zetiffar must remember a valuable lesson his master, Loden Greatstorm, taught him long ago when they were mediating a conflict on a Frontier world. He puts that lesson into practice as he searchs for his missing friend, the Wookiee Jedi Burryaga. It's a simple tale about the path you need to take not always being the one you should be on. It's a very Jedi thing to embrace and Bell does in earnest, aware that he will need to face one of his greatest challenges to rescue his friend, something far harder than any battle he has been in. But the journey is just as important as the destination.

All Jedi Walk Their Own Path is a testament to how well Soule does when he puts his mind to something rather than let himself get distracted. It echoes some of his best writings, such as Burryaga comforting a youth in Light of the Jedi despite the language barriers between them. I wish we'll get more of this when he writes Trials of the Jedi to close off the main series of The High Republic.

[Saimi Korhonen · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I see light. - Light and life. And I’ll tell you a secret: there are so many of you, all across the galaxy, on every planet, every moon. You shine like beacons. You give me hope.”

Tales of Light and Life is a YA collection of short stories set in all the eras of the High Republic. We have stories set before and after the events of Phase 2, stories taking place during Phase 1 and stories that offer us glimpses into what some of our favorite characters are doing and dealing with in Phase 3, which will kick off later in 2023. This is a must-read collection for all High Republic fans!

Overall I enjoyed all the stories, and I liked how all of them offered something important to the characters and the era. Even though not all the stories were 5/5 stars (I have yet to read any collection where all stories would be perfection) they all had weight to them, they all had something important to say and there were things in all of them that I loved.

Here are some thoughts on all stories individually:

The Queen's Bloom (4/5): I looooved how this story gave us our first glimpse of what Axel Greylark was like before everything in his life went to hell. Knowing everything that will happen to him gave this story a very bittersweet vibe. This story included some really cool stuff, such as his first meeting with the Mother (and perhaps Gella!). I also liked how this story showed that even back then he was already drawn to people who could manipulate him and use him (Leyli): it's something that Mother recognises in him later on and uses to her advantage. All the foreshadowing, gave me chills, but this convo between him and Leyli was especially good: "We’re never going to be what they want us to be. So we have to make our own way.” – “And burn everything and everyone in the process.” – “You’ll learn.” SO GOOD!

A Closed Fist Has No Claws (5/5): This story was wild, strange and sad. I loved how the author depicted Marda's mental descent and the change in her soul. She is going off the rails, but I feel for her: she has been through so much shit. I loved the way the story was told, with Marda addressing her future legacy, her heir and telling them her story, why she is building what will end up becoming the Nihil, why she is looking for other Evereni, why her people are tasked to care for this evil creature. Her narration felt unhinged and jumpy at times, which was, ahh, so good. This was the perfect epilogue to Path of Vengeance! Seeing how the Path is slowly transforming into the Nihil was awesome.

Shield of the Jedi (3,5/5): This story was just fun and sweet, a nice little epilogue to Rooper Nitani's journey in phase two. I loved seeing and learning more about how individual the knight trials are at this point, how they are created by masters solely for their padawans. It's yet another little thing that shows how the Jedi of the HR era are more focused on individuals rather than creating a homogenous group. The lesson Rooper learns is peak SW and made me smile. The scene that got me when reading this, was when Silandra gives Rooper her shield, saying she doesn't need it anymore, cause SHE is now the shield, cause she has learned everything she must and can from carrying it. This passing of a torch, this sign of just how much Silandra respects and trusts Rooper, and Rooper picking up this heirloom, knowing one day she will pass it on too, was so good.

The Lonely Traveler is Home (5/5): This story was just CUTE. I love the High Republic Adventures comic from phase one so much and all the kids in it are so important to me, so having this cute-ass story about them just being a little family and looking after each other was everything. I loved how DJO focused on Ram and Zeen's friendship, as they are, while drastically different in personalities, dealing with many similar issues and can understand each other very well. I also loved the little Lula/Zeen moments sprinkled into the story. Ram is a sweetheart, and he is so precious to me, and I loved how DJO hinted at where he will be mentally in Midnight Horizon in this story, while also keeping this specific story uplifting and sweet. This quote really moved me: “Whenever the heart smiles, the lonely traveler is home.”

After the Fall (4/5): This story made me quite intrigued to see where Affie and her team are in Phase 3: we get some solid hints as to where they might be and I liked everything I saw. Any story with Geode is always a blessing and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. I really liked getting to see Affie dealing with the aftermath of what she did to her stepmom Scover Byne: her actions didn't influence just her stepmom, but everyone who worked for her. I also thought the way Claudia Gray depicted Affie's desperate need to do something to help the galaxy after the fall of Starlight while also feeling absolutely useless and helpless and knowing she cannot single-handedly change anything, so well. This story really honed in on one of the key themes of SW: when we work together and put aside our differences, we can achieve great things.

The Force Provides (3,5/5): This story was great character-wise, but I didn't particularly care for the larger story with the old Togrutan woman. I loved seeing how Vernestra is dealing with losing so many people she loves: I think the fact that she, who has always been told she is special and strong (I mean she is one of the youngest knights ever), beats herself for her "failures" so drastically, to the point that she has become numb in many ways, is very realistic. If she was so special as to become a knight so young, shouldn't she have been able to save someone? Also, the fact that she has chosen the path of a Wayseeker, having begun to lose her faith in the Jedi as an order, made sense to me. This war is breaking these people, and it is beginning to gnaw at Vernestra's faith, if not in the Force, than in the institutions she has always served. I cannot wait to see how Vernestra's story continues in Phase 3!

All Jedi Walk Their Own Path (5/5): This story was the most emotional one for me (I cried a little bit and then went to cry to my mom, holding my pillow into which I had sobbed) and I loved the way it alternated between a flashback storyline with Loden and Bell, and the current day story of Bell doing all he can to find Burryaga. The theme of Jedi having to choose their paths and sometimes following their hearts instead of the orders given to them, and the determination in Bell to not fail to save someone he loves this time, all of this was great, great stuff.

Light in the Darkness (3,5/5): I liked what this story had to say about the impact of Starlight's fall on the regular people it was supposed to help and keep safe, and how the victory of the Nihil is making people doubt the Jedi and the Republic. The main plot wasn't anything too spectacular, but I think it's important to remember that the events of the Fallen Star are a tragedy not just for Jedi but everyone. Keeve was incredible and badass in this story, a calming protective presence while also being her old, swearing, smiley self. I cannot wait to see what Cavan Scott has in store for her!

The Call of Coruscant (3,5/5): I had the least emotional connection to this story, as it is about two new characters, but I am happy to say I liked both of them and wouldn't mind learning more about them in the next phase. This story had some delightfully creepy Shrii ka rai ka rai -moments (always a delight!), a few gut punches (I mean, why did I have to read this line: “He could feel the disruption in the Force so far away. The loss echoed within his very bones. The trio of Avar, Stellan and Elzar was irrevocably broken. He wasn’t sure how it had happened, but one of them had died. He just knew it.” why?!) and a wonderful look into how the training of a padawan was so much more open in this era than it is in, say, the prequel era. Lox trusts his padawan to make the best choice for himself and does not berate him for exploring, trying, questioning.

This is, as I said, a must-read collection for THR fans. It's not a place to start with THR, I'd say, because you're gonna miss a lot of nuance if you have not read anything that has come out in the past. A very good collection with all kinds of stories: spooky, sweet, exciting, dark and hopeful.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the High Republic and this brought back a lot of characters from Phase I that I hadn't read in a while. I've been looking forward to this book since it first was announced and I was so excited they did a YA short story anthology.
I'll go through each story:

Queen's Bloom - I didn't like Axel and I still don't but the story was pretty good. It's nice to see him actually happy for a change but I still don't like him. I like how Elecia was in at the end too before she became the Mother. 5/10

A Closed Fist as No Claws - this story was low key scary. I like how Star Wars is going scary like it reminded me of the Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade book but probably because they were both violent. I liked how the POV was like I and you instead of the third person view it usually is in Star Wars. Marda like had a 180 degrees like character change but you still know it's her. What happened to the Littles? Like she changed so much from Path of Deceit. It's crazy. 8/10

Shield of the Jedi - This story was good I enjoyed it. I like how Rooper was a lot more mature and she grew since the last time. I also like how she got the shield and I think like many others that the shield will show up in Phase III so that will be cool. 8/10

The Lonely Traveler is Home - this was kind of cringe. I don't really like Ram that much and this just added to it. The only funny thing was him saying hello Vernastarns or whatever that line is. I feel like it was only included because of the Adventures comics and a lighthearted story, which it was. It's nice to see the Padawans have fun. 6/10

After the Fall - I never really got into Affie and that group of characters but it was nice to see them again. I liked the couple that I'm forgetting their names but the flying Republic couple. I don't know I'm glad they're back. 8/10

The Force Provides - I liked this story. It was kind of crazy seeing Vernestra like that and sad. It's also kind of surprising she became a Wayseeker. And no way they just killed off Imri like how. The story was good and I liked it. I was shocked at the plot twist at the end. I liked how it was a more down to Earth kind og story like a little adventure. 9/10

All Jedi Walk Their Own Path - Burryaga is back!!! Definitely my favorite character !!! I love him. I also liked how Bell was in this story also and how he is the one that found him. I also liked the pirate fishing crew that he joins. 10/10

Light in the Darkness - I liked this one. I liked how the Jedi weren't the main focus and the village people. I liked how the theme of that people can be heros too not just the Jedi but it was nice the Jedi came to save the day, I was worried they weren't coming. I also liked how Keeve was in the story and I hope she more of a focus in the books. 9/10

The Call of Coruscant - I liked this story and how introduced new characters. I was worried that Amadeo wasn't going to go back to the Jedi but he did. Looking forward to these characters in the future. 8/10

Rogue Element - it's sad that this is only in the Barnes and Noble edition:( and I don't have that edition:( so I don't know what's its about but I wish

Anyways the book is five stars. Also there is so many characters in the High Republic now I need like a dictionary for all the characters.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This anthology of short stories continues the High Republic trend of absolutely every piece of media being essential reading, which I’m not sure I love, because it makes it easy to miss important things (for example, what happened with Burryaga after that cliffhanger in one of the earlier books? If you skip this collection, you’ll never know!) But it does mean that these stories do, generally, matter.

This is an overall very competent group of writers, but as with all anthologies, there were still some stories I liked more than others. I enjoyed “The Queen’s Bloom,” “Shield of the Jedi,” “After the Fall,” and “All Jedi Walk Their Own Path.” I wasn’t a huge fan of “A Closed Fist Has No Claws,” “The Lonely Traveler Is Home,” “The Force Provides,” and “Light in the Darkness,” for various reasons. A couple of the stories were kind of corny or sappy for me.

I almost rounded down to 3 stars because I didn’t *love* this collection, but 4 stars is usually my cut-off for whether I would re-read something or not and I would re-read some of these, so I rounded up.

[Judy R · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only reason this is rated so low (for me and the High Republic) is because the stories were very uneven. Not so much in the writing, but in the how much I care about the characters area.

Admittedly, NOTHING would be able to touch the level of investment in the Bell and Burry story, especially as it blended an older remembrance of his time with Loden, but even in cases where I am interested in the characters (ie Marda Ro), the stories just didn't hit.

The Ram story was very sweet, and I liked that it answered my question about whether Reath and Bell knew each other.

Also, I'll never forgive Justina Ireland. She knows what she did.

[David Booy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I initially was going to label this short story collection as a mixed bag, but after further thought I think that would be unfair. There are no bad stories here, but the 2 or 3 best ones are simply on a level so far above the others that they do not compare. But make no mistake, every story here is an enjoyable read, expanding on plot details, linking story threads together, and in some cases being presumably critical pieces of the ongoing story. Very glad I didn't skip this one!

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really loved getting to read something in the high republic series that allowed the authors to write in a different style. The story telling in each story expand its characters and the overall storylines making this a great Star Wars read. The only frustrating thing was none of the characters were introduced. So if you never read a book with them in it, it felt like “and this cool Jedi who learns a new lesson!”

[Kaitlyn McCarthy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this collection! It tied up some loose ends from Phases I and II, answered some lingering questions, and set up a few plot points for Phase III, giving us a taste of where the series is going to go. I was happy to get a glimpse of some of my series favorites again, in situations that are a little less dire and life-threatening than the main books in the series.