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Star Wars: The High Republic
Beware the Nameless
The High Republic continues in this fast-paced adventure that picks up from Escape from Valo, perfect for fans of sci-fi action. Think Sailor Moon meets Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting by way of Star Wars . . . with a dash of Last Kids on Earth!
This next installment in the New York Times best-selling series is written by award-winning author Zoraida Córdova and features six full-color pages of art!
It is a dark and dangerous time for the galaxy, and the Jedi of the High Republic must face their greatest trials yet. Over a year has passed since the destruction of the Starlight Beacon space station, and hopeful Jedi-in-training—including Tep Tep and Kildo from Escape from Valo—must work with Ram Jamoram and a few new friends to overcome their fears . . . and stop the monsters that threaten the very existence of the Jedi. Even the most reluctant readers won’t be able to put this down!
This next installment in the New York Times best-selling series is written by award-winning author Zoraida Córdova and features six full-color pages of art!
It is a dark and dangerous time for the galaxy, and the Jedi of the High Republic must face their greatest trials yet. Over a year has passed since the destruction of the Starlight Beacon space station, and hopeful Jedi-in-training—including Tep Tep and Kildo from Escape from Valo—must work with Ram Jamoram and a few new friends to overcome their fears . . . and stop the monsters that threaten the very existence of the Jedi. Even the most reluctant readers won’t be able to put this down!
232 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 27, 2024
33 people are currently reading
535 people want to read
About the author
Zoraida Córdova
39 books4,775 followersZoraida 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
NOTE: Direct messages on this account may not be seen. Send her an email at zoraidabooks@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
September 12, 2024
This is really a delightful book! It has some classic Star Wars Middle Grade elements, while also being really refreshing and adding new elements at the same time.
The elephant in the room is Churo the Hutt. I didn't know how it would work out when I started reading about him, I thought it would be incredibly cheesy to make one of the protagonists in the book a teenage Hutt. But you know, his character was really interesting and cool to follow, and it felt like a "risk" while also keeping true to the elements of Star Wars.
I also really enjoyed the storyline about the Younglings going on their mission to Pasagosal in the middle of the other Mission. It is a little "contrived", but it was fun seeing the kids on their adventure.
However, I do have a gripe with the book. I do think that it should have rearranged the story to have Ram be the older, wiser character on the journey here, and Kildo and Tep Tep should have been the only kid characters. Adding in Jamil just felt like 1 too many Jedi characters for a Middle Grade book.
If you've been following the whole High Republic series, there are plenty of easter eggs to reward eagle eyed fans, and there are also some nice explanations and some discussions from the adult and YA books are expounded upon here. This book, unlike some of the Phase 2 Middle Grade books, feels like it really adds to the HR story, and it also makes me appreciate "Escape from Valo" even more.
There is also some fun humor that I enjoyed in this book, particularly concerning Churo the Hutt, as well as a really well placed Monty Python reference (its a blink and you'll miss it reference though).
From a production design standpoint, it is interesting that all of the interior artwork and the cover artwork is distinctly pink/purple tinted. It definitely sets the book apart from the color schemes of the other Middle Grade books.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It doesn't quite hit the heights of A Test of Courage or Mission to Disaster, but its a solid 3rd place winner in the Middle Grade HR books thus far. 8 out of 10.
Only 1 more Middle Grade book left in the HR!
The elephant in the room is Churo the Hutt. I didn't know how it would work out when I started reading about him, I thought it would be incredibly cheesy to make one of the protagonists in the book a teenage Hutt. But you know, his character was really interesting and cool to follow, and it felt like a "risk" while also keeping true to the elements of Star Wars.
I also really enjoyed the storyline about the Younglings going on their mission to Pasagosal in the middle of the other Mission. It is a little "contrived", but it was fun seeing the kids on their adventure.
However, I do have a gripe with the book. I do think that it should have rearranged the story to have Ram be the older, wiser character on the journey here, and Kildo and Tep Tep should have been the only kid characters. Adding in Jamil just felt like 1 too many Jedi characters for a Middle Grade book.
If you've been following the whole High Republic series, there are plenty of easter eggs to reward eagle eyed fans, and there are also some nice explanations and some discussions from the adult and YA books are expounded upon here. This book, unlike some of the Phase 2 Middle Grade books, feels like it really adds to the HR story, and it also makes me appreciate "Escape from Valo" even more.
There is also some fun humor that I enjoyed in this book, particularly concerning Churo the Hutt, as well as a really well placed Monty Python reference (its a blink and you'll miss it reference though).
From a production design standpoint, it is interesting that all of the interior artwork and the cover artwork is distinctly pink/purple tinted. It definitely sets the book apart from the color schemes of the other Middle Grade books.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It doesn't quite hit the heights of A Test of Courage or Mission to Disaster, but its a solid 3rd place winner in the Middle Grade HR books thus far. 8 out of 10.
Only 1 more Middle Grade book left in the HR!
October 28, 2024
Solid 3.5 rounded up. This was fluff, albeit very cute fluff. Churo the Hutt was a highlight, and Ram is just a single dad who works two jobs/ who loves his kids and never stops/ with gentle hands and the heart of a fighter, he’s a survivor.
September 9, 2024
soo... axella real or not?
October 2, 2024
”Being in the monsters’ presence brought a deeper fear – fear of the dark and of the shadows that could touch you but you could not touch back.”
The Jedi and the Republic sent out a team, led by Jedi Ram Jomaram, to answer a distress call from a planet hurt by Nihil raiders. The team soon discovers stowaways on their ship – some accidental, some purposeful – and instead of sending them straight back home, they are sent, guided by a Jedi Master, on another mission, which turns out to be way more dangerous than anyone could've predicted.
Beware the Nameless was yet another great middle grade novel within the High Republic saga. Córdova delivers a fun, action-packed, occasionally chilling and monumental (in terms of moving the larger story of Phase 3 forward) story and introduces the reader to a bunch of cool new characters while also giving us more time ones we already know and love. I thought Córdova managed the balance between scary/dangerous and fun/adventurous really well. The story gets serious and tackles some hard stuff, but does it in a kid-friendly way. The characters go through trauma, react to it and process it, and they face horrible stuff, but it's not done in a way that, I think, will be too much for a middle grade audience to handle. When writing the Nameless, Córdova taps into the horror genre and she manages to create a really appalling image of them and their effects, but alongside all of that there's tons of cute friendship moments and fun shenanigans, such as riding tortles and Kildo yapping his silly quips and snarky comments.
I really enjoyed the characters of this book, both old and new. Kildo and Tep Tep got more time to shine and I ended up liking both even more than I did after Escape from Valo. Kildo is a precious ADHD baby (Alyssa Wong has mentioned multiple times that they created Kildo to represent their ADHD side) who has such a delightfully relaxed attitude towards everything. He gets scared and worried, but he is able to adapt, roll with the punches and easily get along with new people. Seeing even more of how carefree and excitable he is made me appreciate his romance with Gavi even more: they really are so different but I think that is what makes them perfect for each other - they balance each other out. Tep Tep is another precious baby. As someone who loves characters who can see the beauty underneath ugliness and monstrosity and who want to love even those most dangerous, of course she gets to me. I also just love how strange her vibes are: she doesn't talk much, is just vibing in her own little world and is hella brave while also being, above all, all about compassion. Her scene, at the end, where Her and Kildo's friendship is lovely and I love how effortlessly they understand each other (both are people who might not always be understood or who might be seen as a bit strange). Tep Tep burying her face in his shoulder and him stroking her hair was super adorable. Obviously it was strange seeing the two without Gavi, but Gavi is with them in spirit and I do like how this book shows that even though they are separated from their friend, they are alright cause they have a job to do, they trust Gavi and they are one in the Force, always. They showcase how a Jedi can love healthily in a non-attached way.
Out of the new characters, Churo the Hutt was my favorite. I would give a kidney for this soft, sweet, curious boy who doesn't want to be part of the family business and hurt others, who just wants to study plants and bugs and be himself. I think many readers will be able to relate to his internalised shame and self-loathing (I did), and his feelings of being an outsider in a family that does not appreciate him or want him to be himself. I also love that Churo challenges not just the characters in the book but also the reader to explore their prejudices against the Hutts: they have always been depicted as gangsters and selfish villains, but Churo is not that. I think he is a good way to show kids how you shouldn't judge people based on their family or what they look like. As Kildo says, in one of my fave quotes from the book: ”The galaxy is huge and beings can surprise you.”
Zenny Greylark was a delight. It was so much fun seeing the descendant of Axel Greylark (confirmed by Córdova) and the state of the Greylark family after all they went through in Phase 2. Córdova managed to make this connection clear without being obnoxious about it and I actually really loved the exploration of this family's values in this moment. It really seems like they have learned from all that went wrong with Axel and Kyong: now, they emphasise familial loyalty and being honest with your family, the value of trusting and being trusted, everyone being allowed to find their own way to serve the galaxy and they even highlight the importance of knowing your past. In the Greylarks, we see a way a family can healthily rise again and become better than what they used to be. I liked Zenny's fiery nature, her cooler-than-you -attitude which kinda just masked insecurity and fear, and the way she learns the value of trust and teamwork on this mission. She feels like a real teen with her intensity and her tendency to say and do stuff impulsively and then regretting them later when she has had time to cool off. I also feel like she'll be a character many of us can relate to. She is so tired of all the fighting and danger that she is mostly just angry nowadays. Nothing she or anyone does feels like it's enough, so it's easier to just be angry. I think anyone living in these times of constant upheaval in the world can recognise that feeling of just pure frustration. But, as this is a SW novel, Zenny and her new pals find ways to get over mere rage or defeated fear and make their way to that power at the core of Star Wars: hope.
I could write more about Jamil, Ram, Haze, Lexi and all the other players in the book, but as I don't want this review to go on way too long, I'm going to control myself. In short, I'd say every character had their place and purpose in the story, and everyone had a moment to shine.
One thing I really loved about this book was the way Córdova empowered the children characters and made them prove some of the adults around them - the ones who doubt kids and teens can accomplish anything of value - wrong. Star Wars has always been about young people standing up for what's right (Luke and Leia are in their late teens in ANH, Anakin is 10 in TPM and Padmé is, what, 14?) and saving the day, often exactly because the adults around them are unable or unwilling to do so. I adored this quote from Ram: ”I’m not trying to brag – but children saved Valo. Children rescued the bacta that helped planets who desperately needed it. Children are those who will have to fix everything the Nihil broke, decades from now." This moment got to me because while it is true in the world of the High Republic, it's also true in our world. Kids and young people should not be ignored from conversations and adults should listen to them, as they often have a lot of great stuff to say and will become the ones who will have to fix all that those now in power have broken (and there's a lot that has been broken). I think this is a great message for a middle grade SW novel and its kid readers: you can change the world, just like the kids you are reading about.
I would, once again, remind all fans of the High Republic to not skip out on the middle grade novels. They are quality stuff, I swear. Just because you might not be a kid anymore does not mean you cannot enjoy a story aimed at a younger audience and about children.
The Jedi and the Republic sent out a team, led by Jedi Ram Jomaram, to answer a distress call from a planet hurt by Nihil raiders. The team soon discovers stowaways on their ship – some accidental, some purposeful – and instead of sending them straight back home, they are sent, guided by a Jedi Master, on another mission, which turns out to be way more dangerous than anyone could've predicted.
Beware the Nameless was yet another great middle grade novel within the High Republic saga. Córdova delivers a fun, action-packed, occasionally chilling and monumental (in terms of moving the larger story of Phase 3 forward) story and introduces the reader to a bunch of cool new characters while also giving us more time ones we already know and love. I thought Córdova managed the balance between scary/dangerous and fun/adventurous really well. The story gets serious and tackles some hard stuff, but does it in a kid-friendly way. The characters go through trauma, react to it and process it, and they face horrible stuff, but it's not done in a way that, I think, will be too much for a middle grade audience to handle. When writing the Nameless, Córdova taps into the horror genre and she manages to create a really appalling image of them and their effects, but alongside all of that there's tons of cute friendship moments and fun shenanigans, such as riding tortles and Kildo yapping his silly quips and snarky comments.
I really enjoyed the characters of this book, both old and new. Kildo and Tep Tep got more time to shine and I ended up liking both even more than I did after Escape from Valo. Kildo is a precious ADHD baby (Alyssa Wong has mentioned multiple times that they created Kildo to represent their ADHD side) who has such a delightfully relaxed attitude towards everything. He gets scared and worried, but he is able to adapt, roll with the punches and easily get along with new people. Seeing even more of how carefree and excitable he is made me appreciate his romance with Gavi even more: they really are so different but I think that is what makes them perfect for each other - they balance each other out. Tep Tep is another precious baby. As someone who loves characters who can see the beauty underneath ugliness and monstrosity and who want to love even those most dangerous, of course she gets to me. I also just love how strange her vibes are: she doesn't talk much, is just vibing in her own little world and is hella brave while also being, above all, all about compassion. Her scene, at the end, where Her and Kildo's friendship is lovely and I love how effortlessly they understand each other (both are people who might not always be understood or who might be seen as a bit strange). Tep Tep burying her face in his shoulder and him stroking her hair was super adorable. Obviously it was strange seeing the two without Gavi, but Gavi is with them in spirit and I do like how this book shows that even though they are separated from their friend, they are alright cause they have a job to do, they trust Gavi and they are one in the Force, always. They showcase how a Jedi can love healthily in a non-attached way.
Out of the new characters, Churo the Hutt was my favorite. I would give a kidney for this soft, sweet, curious boy who doesn't want to be part of the family business and hurt others, who just wants to study plants and bugs and be himself. I think many readers will be able to relate to his internalised shame and self-loathing (I did), and his feelings of being an outsider in a family that does not appreciate him or want him to be himself. I also love that Churo challenges not just the characters in the book but also the reader to explore their prejudices against the Hutts: they have always been depicted as gangsters and selfish villains, but Churo is not that. I think he is a good way to show kids how you shouldn't judge people based on their family or what they look like. As Kildo says, in one of my fave quotes from the book: ”The galaxy is huge and beings can surprise you.”
Zenny Greylark was a delight. It was so much fun seeing the descendant of Axel Greylark (confirmed by Córdova) and the state of the Greylark family after all they went through in Phase 2. Córdova managed to make this connection clear without being obnoxious about it and I actually really loved the exploration of this family's values in this moment. It really seems like they have learned from all that went wrong with Axel and Kyong: now, they emphasise familial loyalty and being honest with your family, the value of trusting and being trusted, everyone being allowed to find their own way to serve the galaxy and they even highlight the importance of knowing your past. In the Greylarks, we see a way a family can healthily rise again and become better than what they used to be. I liked Zenny's fiery nature, her cooler-than-you -attitude which kinda just masked insecurity and fear, and the way she learns the value of trust and teamwork on this mission. She feels like a real teen with her intensity and her tendency to say and do stuff impulsively and then regretting them later when she has had time to cool off. I also feel like she'll be a character many of us can relate to. She is so tired of all the fighting and danger that she is mostly just angry nowadays. Nothing she or anyone does feels like it's enough, so it's easier to just be angry. I think anyone living in these times of constant upheaval in the world can recognise that feeling of just pure frustration. But, as this is a SW novel, Zenny and her new pals find ways to get over mere rage or defeated fear and make their way to that power at the core of Star Wars: hope.
I could write more about Jamil, Ram, Haze, Lexi and all the other players in the book, but as I don't want this review to go on way too long, I'm going to control myself. In short, I'd say every character had their place and purpose in the story, and everyone had a moment to shine.
One thing I really loved about this book was the way Córdova empowered the children characters and made them prove some of the adults around them - the ones who doubt kids and teens can accomplish anything of value - wrong. Star Wars has always been about young people standing up for what's right (Luke and Leia are in their late teens in ANH, Anakin is 10 in TPM and Padmé is, what, 14?) and saving the day, often exactly because the adults around them are unable or unwilling to do so. I adored this quote from Ram: ”I’m not trying to brag – but children saved Valo. Children rescued the bacta that helped planets who desperately needed it. Children are those who will have to fix everything the Nihil broke, decades from now." This moment got to me because while it is true in the world of the High Republic, it's also true in our world. Kids and young people should not be ignored from conversations and adults should listen to them, as they often have a lot of great stuff to say and will become the ones who will have to fix all that those now in power have broken (and there's a lot that has been broken). I think this is a great message for a middle grade SW novel and its kid readers: you can change the world, just like the kids you are reading about.
I would, once again, remind all fans of the High Republic to not skip out on the middle grade novels. They are quality stuff, I swear. Just because you might not be a kid anymore does not mean you cannot enjoy a story aimed at a younger audience and about children.
August 16, 2025
I admit that at this point in the High Republic, I'm reading the books only because there are just a few books left in the series. And that's a shame, because Beware the Nameless is actually one of the best young-reader books. If it had come earlier on, I would have been more open to it right from the start. What it does that I like better than the typical books at this reading level is that it focuses on kids having an adventure, with real stakes and no distractions. The lessons learned along the way emerge organically rather than feeling forced. And there's no romance, something that has plagued a lot of the young-reader-level books in the High Republic. I would have loved this book when I was the target age for it.
I would have thought that a teenage Hutt who just wants to go to college and study science would be a terrible character to introduce, but surprisingly, ridiculous though it is . . . it works really well! Churo actually became one of my favorite High Republic characters.
This is one of several books in Phase 3 that has made me feel like the series is finally finding a good groove—and now it's almost over. I don't know how everything can be wrapped up in just a handful of books, but at least there were a few good ones along the way.
I would have thought that a teenage Hutt who just wants to go to college and study science would be a terrible character to introduce, but surprisingly, ridiculous though it is . . . it works really well! Churo actually became one of my favorite High Republic characters.
This is one of several books in Phase 3 that has made me feel like the series is finally finding a good groove—and now it's almost over. I don't know how everything can be wrapped up in just a handful of books, but at least there were a few good ones along the way.
December 19, 2024
Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hüte dich vor den Namenlosen
Die Handlung:
Eine bedrohte Welt bittet um Hilfe gegen die Nihil und die Republik antwortet. Mit an Bord der Rettungsmission: Jedi Ram Jomaram. Ebenso mit an Bord, obwohl sie es nicht sein sollten: eine Handvoll Jedi-Jünglinge, darunter bekannte Gesichter aus "Flucht von Valo". Naja, viel bunter kann der Haufen ja nicht mehr werden...Hat da jemand Hutt-Teenager gesagt? Zauber!
Meine Meinung:
Das zweite Middle Grade-Buch aus der Dritten Phase ist extrem unterhaltsam und setzt die Geschichte rund um die Jedi-Jünglinge und Ram sinnvoll fort. Dabei trifft die Autorin gut den Ton zwischen ernster Rettungsmission und humorvollem Spaß. Um den Hutt im Raum gleich anzusprechen: Der funktioniert super als Charakter und brachte mir viel Freude beim Lesen. Für wiederkehrende Leser verstecken sich einige Anspielungen im Buch und die sind in Star Wars ja bekanntlich immer klasse.
Fazit:
Wieder überzeugt ein High Republic Middle Grade Buch mit innovativen Ideen und leichtem Lesespaß. Da ist für jeden was dabei.
Werbung: Vielen lieben Dank an Panini für die Bereitstellung des Rezensionexemplares!
Hüte dich vor den Namenlosen
Die Handlung:
Eine bedrohte Welt bittet um Hilfe gegen die Nihil und die Republik antwortet. Mit an Bord der Rettungsmission: Jedi Ram Jomaram. Ebenso mit an Bord, obwohl sie es nicht sein sollten: eine Handvoll Jedi-Jünglinge, darunter bekannte Gesichter aus "Flucht von Valo". Naja, viel bunter kann der Haufen ja nicht mehr werden...Hat da jemand Hutt-Teenager gesagt? Zauber!
Meine Meinung:
Das zweite Middle Grade-Buch aus der Dritten Phase ist extrem unterhaltsam und setzt die Geschichte rund um die Jedi-Jünglinge und Ram sinnvoll fort. Dabei trifft die Autorin gut den Ton zwischen ernster Rettungsmission und humorvollem Spaß. Um den Hutt im Raum gleich anzusprechen: Der funktioniert super als Charakter und brachte mir viel Freude beim Lesen. Für wiederkehrende Leser verstecken sich einige Anspielungen im Buch und die sind in Star Wars ja bekanntlich immer klasse.
Fazit:
Wieder überzeugt ein High Republic Middle Grade Buch mit innovativen Ideen und leichtem Lesespaß. Da ist für jeden was dabei.
Werbung: Vielen lieben Dank an Panini für die Bereitstellung des Rezensionexemplares!
Read
October 3, 2024I’m always surprised at how much I enjoy the middle grade Star Wars High Republic books. I don’t normally read Junior or YA but these fit perfectly into the High Republic story. It was fun to have a young Hutt as one of the main characters.
December 11, 2025
Beware the Nameless is a gripping and adventurous tale about holding together in the face of danger and learning to leave your family behind to pursue your dreams no matter what their expectations of you are. I really enjoyed this story and that it didn't shy away from depicting death and loss. The new character Churro is an absolute gem and one of my favorites from the THR middle grade books. Unfortunately I didn't really connect to this book on an emotional level but I'm glad I read it and would recommend it to anyone looking to get the full picture of The High Republic.
October 18, 2024
I’ve been lagging behind on the Middle Grade High Republic novels, only earlier this year did I read Justina Ireland’s Phase 1 Middle Grades (and loved them) in anticipation of Defy the Storm.
I skipped out on both DJO MGs since I have found to not enjoy his writing, and that is okay.
I have still to catch up on the Phase 2 MGs which I will get on my re-read of that, something which Córdova has made me look forward to even more with this novel.
I am a big fan on Convergence, so I was looking forward to Beware the Nameless and it didn’t disappoint in any way! We are presented with a young and diverse cast with people coming in with a lot of different experiences and philosophies. As with the other MG books, it doesn’t really use kitten gloves or impair its story telling to cater to younger readers. The characters truly get put through some horrifying experiences and it is fantastic to see them deal with those in their own way and talk through it, learning from and finding solace in each other.
I haven’t read the High Republic Adventures comics or read Escape from Valo (Star Wars: The High Republico, so my only concern was not being as invested in the new characters introduced in those books. But, as with most High Republic media, the writer does an excellent job at introducing me to these new kids and recapping what they went through before and how it impacts their decision making.
The only person I felt little impact of was the Nihil scientist Niv Drendow who was like a shadow in the background of the plot, but obviously more important to the Adventures plotline itself. I hadn’t heard of him before ad was kind of confused why his role wasn’t given to Boolan himself, who seems to be underutilized as it is.
The cast is all around wonderful. We mainly follow a group of 3 younglings, a senator’s daughter, a young entomologist Hutt and their Republic Defense Coalition and Jedi Council Master chaperones.
Like with the other MGs the adult characters aren’t the main focus, but an integral part of the story non the less. The handful of adult perspectives we got lend even more weight to the already dire situations.
Alcedian Youngling Kildo is upbeat and boisterous, his experiences with Ram at Valo have obviously made him wise and skilled for his age. I think he’d get a long great with Kai from Young Jedi Adventures!
His friend, tiny and young fellow Alcedian trans girl Tep Tep was an instant favorite. She’s adorable, fun and quirky but wise beyond her years, brave and gifted in the force. She has a special connection to animals and these abilities lead to some wonderful moments. Like Kildo, I think she’s make great friends with Lys from Young Jedi Adventures.
Jamil is the third youngling and the least experienced. He is soft-spoken and fretful and feels like he has been overlooked to be appointed as a Padawn learner. I enjoyed his introvert manner and how his first experience on a mission shaped him, but in the end, it felt more like the story had an impact on him than the other way around.
Churo the Hutt is another instant favorite and I think I loved and related to his story arc the most. It is so much fun to see a neurodivergent non-conformist Hutt character.
Zenny Greylark is a senator’s daughter from the lineage of Axel Greylark from Phase 2 and so has a lot of callbacks to Convergence. She is feisty, distrusting and determined, causing a bit of discord within the group. She’s very interesting and offers a unique outlook through her experiences on Coruscant.
The High Republic is an intricately connected story web with many things interweaving with each other, but I felt Córdova went the extra mile in this. As said, there are many connections to Phase 2 but Young Jedi Adventures and The Acolyte are referenced too. Like with Convergence, the world building was fantastic once again. The planet we get to explore, Palagosal (a, sort of, anagram for Galapagos, from Córdova’s birthplace of Equador) is an idyllic archipelago ocean planet with a diverse landscape and big critters.
A special mention has to be made for, once again, the fantastic double page illustrations by Petur Antonsson.
I won’t spoil the plot or the character arcs, but it appears to be quite impactful for the overall story of Phase 3 and I suspect we’ll see its direct continuation in Tears of the Nameless later this month.
I am kind of uncertain about the exact chronology of this book since few of the events of Temptation of the Force are mentioned, so I am guessing it sort of runs parallel to that.
I’m looking forward to it, even though the conclusion of Phase 3's Wave 2 will well and truly get us into the end stretch of this incredible experience that the High Republic publishing initiative has been!
I skipped out on both DJO MGs since I have found to not enjoy his writing, and that is okay.
I have still to catch up on the Phase 2 MGs which I will get on my re-read of that, something which Córdova has made me look forward to even more with this novel.
I am a big fan on Convergence, so I was looking forward to Beware the Nameless and it didn’t disappoint in any way! We are presented with a young and diverse cast with people coming in with a lot of different experiences and philosophies. As with the other MG books, it doesn’t really use kitten gloves or impair its story telling to cater to younger readers. The characters truly get put through some horrifying experiences and it is fantastic to see them deal with those in their own way and talk through it, learning from and finding solace in each other.
I haven’t read the High Republic Adventures comics or read Escape from Valo (Star Wars: The High Republico, so my only concern was not being as invested in the new characters introduced in those books. But, as with most High Republic media, the writer does an excellent job at introducing me to these new kids and recapping what they went through before and how it impacts their decision making.
The only person I felt little impact of was the Nihil scientist Niv Drendow who was like a shadow in the background of the plot, but obviously more important to the Adventures plotline itself. I hadn’t heard of him before ad was kind of confused why his role wasn’t given to Boolan himself, who seems to be underutilized as it is.
The cast is all around wonderful. We mainly follow a group of 3 younglings, a senator’s daughter, a young entomologist Hutt and their Republic Defense Coalition and Jedi Council Master chaperones.
Like with the other MGs the adult characters aren’t the main focus, but an integral part of the story non the less. The handful of adult perspectives we got lend even more weight to the already dire situations.
Alcedian Youngling Kildo is upbeat and boisterous, his experiences with Ram at Valo have obviously made him wise and skilled for his age. I think he’d get a long great with Kai from Young Jedi Adventures!
His friend, tiny and young fellow Alcedian trans girl Tep Tep was an instant favorite. She’s adorable, fun and quirky but wise beyond her years, brave and gifted in the force. She has a special connection to animals and these abilities lead to some wonderful moments. Like Kildo, I think she’s make great friends with Lys from Young Jedi Adventures.
Jamil is the third youngling and the least experienced. He is soft-spoken and fretful and feels like he has been overlooked to be appointed as a Padawn learner. I enjoyed his introvert manner and how his first experience on a mission shaped him, but in the end, it felt more like the story had an impact on him than the other way around.
Churo the Hutt is another instant favorite and I think I loved and related to his story arc the most. It is so much fun to see a neurodivergent non-conformist Hutt character.
Zenny Greylark is a senator’s daughter from the lineage of Axel Greylark from Phase 2 and so has a lot of callbacks to Convergence. She is feisty, distrusting and determined, causing a bit of discord within the group. She’s very interesting and offers a unique outlook through her experiences on Coruscant.
The High Republic is an intricately connected story web with many things interweaving with each other, but I felt Córdova went the extra mile in this. As said, there are many connections to Phase 2 but Young Jedi Adventures and The Acolyte are referenced too. Like with Convergence, the world building was fantastic once again. The planet we get to explore, Palagosal (a, sort of, anagram for Galapagos, from Córdova’s birthplace of Equador) is an idyllic archipelago ocean planet with a diverse landscape and big critters.
A special mention has to be made for, once again, the fantastic double page illustrations by Petur Antonsson.
I won’t spoil the plot or the character arcs, but it appears to be quite impactful for the overall story of Phase 3 and I suspect we’ll see its direct continuation in Tears of the Nameless later this month.
I am kind of uncertain about the exact chronology of this book since few of the events of Temptation of the Force are mentioned, so I am guessing it sort of runs parallel to that.
I’m looking forward to it, even though the conclusion of Phase 3's Wave 2 will well and truly get us into the end stretch of this incredible experience that the High Republic publishing initiative has been!
October 28, 2024
After A Test of Courage, Beware the Nameless is my favorite of the middle grade THR novels. The stakes are high. Threats are real. Characters have to navigate through obstacles. People die. It’s a very tough time right now for the Jedi with so many adversaries, but I did appreciate a lot of the levity the character Churro the Hutt brought. He could’ve easily been annoying but I found him so charming. Probably one of the best new addition character to Phase III! This book is also a great companion to the YA novel, Tears of the Nameless. Overall, I really like when middle grade books don’t talk down to their readers just because they’re younger, and this book really excels at that.
December 25, 2024
Die Jugendbücher der High Republic-Reihe begeistern mich ein ums andere Mal. Dieses hier war keine Ausnahme. Vor allem Churo hat es mir angetan und ich hoffe so sehr, dass wir dem kleinen Hutt irgendwann wieder begegnen.
Diese Bücher bieten so viel, leben aber vor allem durch die Figuren und wie sie langsam wachsen. Ich bewundere ihre Einsichten, obwohl sie noch so jung sind. Die Bücher machen Mut und stärken die Lesenden auf ganz unterschiedliche Weise.
Diese Bücher bieten so viel, leben aber vor allem durch die Figuren und wie sie langsam wachsen. Ich bewundere ihre Einsichten, obwohl sie noch so jung sind. Die Bücher machen Mut und stärken die Lesenden auf ganz unterschiedliche Weise.
December 30, 2024
Why are the middle grade ones always so good? It was so cute, it felt just light enough without ignoring the danger.
W h y is this the first time I felt afraid of the Nameless AND have a decent picture of them in my head? A N D this book connected with the entire High Republic works better than the adult novels ever do.
I love the hutts 💕
W h y is this the first time I felt afraid of the Nameless AND have a decent picture of them in my head? A N D this book connected with the entire High Republic works better than the adult novels ever do.
I love the hutts 💕
September 21, 2024
Churo the Hutt! 🥹 I need at least 18 more books about him.
July 3, 2025
4.5 / 5
July 24, 2025
More of a 3.5 stars but it was a fun younger reader. So many interesting characters
September 20, 2024
From my Space Wizards Book Club newsletter: "a fun and frightful High Republic tale"
One of the things Star Wars middle-grade books excel at is presenting a fun side story that offers readers different perspectives of galactic events and issues. Better yet, these novels showcase the perspectives of children — the most underrated and overlooked voices that often have the most profound things to say. The High Republic middle-grade stories are the best of the new canon bunch. The newest book, Beware the Nameless, deftly showcases these themes along with teamwork, facing your fears, and being true to yourself.
Beware the Nameless — from author Zoraida Córdova (A Crash of Fate, Convergence) — was released on Tuesday from Disney Books. It’s a direct sequel to Escape from Valo and features a large cast of returning favorites and new characters to fall in love with.
One of those new characters is the star of Beware the Nameless — a warm-hearted Hutt named Churo. The vegetarian, bug- and plant-loving tween challenges his fellow younglings’ assumptions about Hutts — stereotypically mean and grotesque criminals who care for nothing and no one besides the glory of their clans. Churo is a big softie (literally) with anxiety who worries about trying to please his family and doing the right thing to help his new friends. We spend a lot of time in Churo’s POV and Beware the Nameless is all the better for making the Hutt a core character.
The other standout star is Zenny Greylark — yes, of THOSE Greylarks from Phase 2 of The High Republic. Through Zenny’s perspective, we meet her mother, a senator, and are fed a Star Destroyer-load of nods and Easter eggs to Phase 2. Her thoughts about her family tree never detail what happened to Phase 2’s Axel Greylark and a certain Jedi Knight, but Beware the Nameless is still a feast for enjoyers of Convergence and Cataclysm.
Surprisingly, the Jedi characters mostly take a back seat in Beware the Nameless. Younglings Kildo and Tep Tep return to the gang after their escapades in Escape from Valo, and new Jedi Jamil joins for the harrowing adventure of a lifetime. With these three, Zenny and Churo, plus a couple of other older Jedi and Republic Defense Coalition members, the middle-grade novel’s cast is overloaded with characters to keep track of. And that’s where Beware the Nameless begins to falter.
Despite that, Beware the Nameless deftly explored the effects of the Nameless creatures on the youngest Jedi. Younglings like Kildo, Jamil, and Tep Tep are still learning to meditate and center themselves in the Force. They’re still learning how to best protect light and life. Throw in Force-eating monsters, and these Jedi easily falter to the Nameless’ hallucinogenic horror. The scenes with the Nameless in this kids’ book are surprisingly scary and intense.
A book like Beware the Nameless is the perfect place to explore current High Republic themes like the Jedi needing protection. All Jedi, including the younglings, are taught to be first responders to the needs of the larger galaxy. They are the ones to leap into the line of blaster fire or take on rampaging beasts to protect people. But the Nameless render Jedi incapacitated and unable to defend themselves let alone others.
Without spoiling anything, Beware the Nameless also seamlessly sets up the next High Republic novel, Tears of the Nameless. This final phase of The High Republic is all about ending the Nihil tyranny and destruction once and for all. But the Jedi have finally learned that to fight the Nihil’s Nameless weapon, you must understand it and face your ultimate fears.
One of the things Star Wars middle-grade books excel at is presenting a fun side story that offers readers different perspectives of galactic events and issues. Better yet, these novels showcase the perspectives of children — the most underrated and overlooked voices that often have the most profound things to say. The High Republic middle-grade stories are the best of the new canon bunch. The newest book, Beware the Nameless, deftly showcases these themes along with teamwork, facing your fears, and being true to yourself.
Beware the Nameless — from author Zoraida Córdova (A Crash of Fate, Convergence) — was released on Tuesday from Disney Books. It’s a direct sequel to Escape from Valo and features a large cast of returning favorites and new characters to fall in love with.
One of those new characters is the star of Beware the Nameless — a warm-hearted Hutt named Churo. The vegetarian, bug- and plant-loving tween challenges his fellow younglings’ assumptions about Hutts — stereotypically mean and grotesque criminals who care for nothing and no one besides the glory of their clans. Churo is a big softie (literally) with anxiety who worries about trying to please his family and doing the right thing to help his new friends. We spend a lot of time in Churo’s POV and Beware the Nameless is all the better for making the Hutt a core character.
The other standout star is Zenny Greylark — yes, of THOSE Greylarks from Phase 2 of The High Republic. Through Zenny’s perspective, we meet her mother, a senator, and are fed a Star Destroyer-load of nods and Easter eggs to Phase 2. Her thoughts about her family tree never detail what happened to Phase 2’s Axel Greylark and a certain Jedi Knight, but Beware the Nameless is still a feast for enjoyers of Convergence and Cataclysm.
Surprisingly, the Jedi characters mostly take a back seat in Beware the Nameless. Younglings Kildo and Tep Tep return to the gang after their escapades in Escape from Valo, and new Jedi Jamil joins for the harrowing adventure of a lifetime. With these three, Zenny and Churo, plus a couple of other older Jedi and Republic Defense Coalition members, the middle-grade novel’s cast is overloaded with characters to keep track of. And that’s where Beware the Nameless begins to falter.
Despite that, Beware the Nameless deftly explored the effects of the Nameless creatures on the youngest Jedi. Younglings like Kildo, Jamil, and Tep Tep are still learning to meditate and center themselves in the Force. They’re still learning how to best protect light and life. Throw in Force-eating monsters, and these Jedi easily falter to the Nameless’ hallucinogenic horror. The scenes with the Nameless in this kids’ book are surprisingly scary and intense.
A book like Beware the Nameless is the perfect place to explore current High Republic themes like the Jedi needing protection. All Jedi, including the younglings, are taught to be first responders to the needs of the larger galaxy. They are the ones to leap into the line of blaster fire or take on rampaging beasts to protect people. But the Nameless render Jedi incapacitated and unable to defend themselves let alone others.
Without spoiling anything, Beware the Nameless also seamlessly sets up the next High Republic novel, Tears of the Nameless. This final phase of The High Republic is all about ending the Nihil tyranny and destruction once and for all. But the Jedi have finally learned that to fight the Nihil’s Nameless weapon, you must understand it and face your ultimate fears.
September 26, 2024
Zoraida Córdova hits us with a story of family, friendships, trust, and fear! Beware the Nameless has characters with real hearts, fears, and hopes. The trials and tests teach them and us both what it takes and what it means to be a hero. It’s a story about choices and having the courage to face danger to help those who need it. It all ties back to one of the core themes of Star Wars (and Ratatouille.) That a hero can come from anywhere. Zoraida Córdova gives us a beautiful story with some amazing threads to add to The High Republic storytelling!
This is a must-read for anyone looking for a story about young people finding the strength in themselves to come together and fight for each other.
This is a must-read for anyone looking for a story about young people finding the strength in themselves to come together and fight for each other.
December 27, 2024
Like all the junior reader books, I know what I am going to get most of the time. I will cringe with some of the lines in the book and the kumbaya moments. However, I really like this story. The hutt was a great new character and I wasn’t as annoyed with the kids this time around. There were situations that the kids were in and dealt with that actually had stakes to them. And, the kids “saving the day” was not a “Mary sue” type moment, the writing made it make sense and nothing out of left field happened that seemed unbelievable.
October 21, 2024
From BetweenDisney.com
I promise I am not trying to hate read the High Republic!
Star Wars: The High Republic Beware the Nameless by Zoraida Córdova is a book for ages 8 to 12, which brings me to some questions about the architecture of the High Republic blueprint. These questions range from who is the intended audience and when and how you reveal important plot points.
Star Wars: The High Republic Beware the Nameless by Zoraida Córdova is a straightforward mid-reader adventure tale. Padawan Ram Jomaram, who we’ve met before, is given the mission to capture some of the Nihil’s Nameless. It appears he has been successful enough in the past to get an important mission but not enough to be promoted to Knight. His mission team is a group of young padawans and the daughter of the senator. Boom, we get a switch-up and the youngsters of this group are separated from Ram and go on their own adventure where they meet a young inquisitive Hutt, fight the Nameless, and attempt to save survivors of a Nihil attack.
Overall, the story is meant for high elementary and middle school readers, and the action revolves around them in a story that has plenty of adventure targeted to that age range. So I won’t hate review this! I did leave the book wondering about what the kids are reading and the line between adolescent and adult. When I was in Middle School, I tended to read adventure stories, so I think Córdova’s story is mostly appropriate to the age range. But it also felt like it was right on the line as a tense and brutal story. We’ve seen the Nameless in adult-aged books kill Jedi and it is harsh. This harshness does return here, spoiler not everyone you meet will make it. So I did question if the level of violence was a good fit for the intended audience. But this is from someone who was this age before books like The Hunger Games with it’s fill of even more horrific violence. When I place it in that light, it does seem like something one would find for this reading group. I will say as an older reader, it felt more straightforward without twists and turns than the stories targeted for older readers.
Let’s focus on the book for just one more moment. I do think that one of the hardest things to do in the High Republic is introduce new characters. Córdova is really successful with the introduction of Churo the Hutt. Churo has a name every Disney fan will love. He also is a character that is one of the easiest aliens to imagine in your mind. He is highly likable and easy to cheer for, he has a lot of anxiety, more than a Hutt should have. Córdova in this story provides Churo a complete arc that tells a whole chapter of his life here, while also making us want to turn the page and see what the next chapter of his book is titled. For a project that overall has failed to make me like more than a character or two, it was refreshing to have one new entry stand out.
Yoda takes a seat and chats with the kids.
Let’s get away from the book for a second. I learned a lot about the Nameless in this book. I feel like there were aspects of what the Jedi know about the Nameless, the impacts of the Nameless attacks, and even how the Jedi see the Nameless that while hinted at in the adult High Republic books were clarified more strongly in this text. I found myself wondering if this text, outside of the main adult story line, was the place where readers should be looking for these clarifications. Are there going to be adults who never read this book due to the listed age range? Maybe Córdova hoped to give clarity to a youth reader, but I kept thinking shouldn’t Avar Kriss be discovering this? Even the fact there was a Nameless hunt felt like it should have been placed in the main story. And then the newest High Republic threat the Blight showed up, and I felt yet again I was getting more information than I got in the adult books where we watched heroes study the infection. Good on you Córdova, but the architects may have missed some of their strongest impact points.
Star Wars: The High Republic Beware the Nameless by Zoraida Córdova is a fine youth adventure story. I think the younger you are the better you will enjoy it. Córdova does give us a young new hero that I think is easy for readers of all ages to understand and enjoy. But I did walk away with more questions about how the High Republic is designed and more clarity on the Nameless.
I promise I am not trying to hate read the High Republic!
Star Wars: The High Republic Beware the Nameless by Zoraida Córdova is a book for ages 8 to 12, which brings me to some questions about the architecture of the High Republic blueprint. These questions range from who is the intended audience and when and how you reveal important plot points.
Star Wars: The High Republic Beware the Nameless by Zoraida Córdova is a straightforward mid-reader adventure tale. Padawan Ram Jomaram, who we’ve met before, is given the mission to capture some of the Nihil’s Nameless. It appears he has been successful enough in the past to get an important mission but not enough to be promoted to Knight. His mission team is a group of young padawans and the daughter of the senator. Boom, we get a switch-up and the youngsters of this group are separated from Ram and go on their own adventure where they meet a young inquisitive Hutt, fight the Nameless, and attempt to save survivors of a Nihil attack.
Overall, the story is meant for high elementary and middle school readers, and the action revolves around them in a story that has plenty of adventure targeted to that age range. So I won’t hate review this! I did leave the book wondering about what the kids are reading and the line between adolescent and adult. When I was in Middle School, I tended to read adventure stories, so I think Córdova’s story is mostly appropriate to the age range. But it also felt like it was right on the line as a tense and brutal story. We’ve seen the Nameless in adult-aged books kill Jedi and it is harsh. This harshness does return here, spoiler not everyone you meet will make it. So I did question if the level of violence was a good fit for the intended audience. But this is from someone who was this age before books like The Hunger Games with it’s fill of even more horrific violence. When I place it in that light, it does seem like something one would find for this reading group. I will say as an older reader, it felt more straightforward without twists and turns than the stories targeted for older readers.
Let’s focus on the book for just one more moment. I do think that one of the hardest things to do in the High Republic is introduce new characters. Córdova is really successful with the introduction of Churo the Hutt. Churo has a name every Disney fan will love. He also is a character that is one of the easiest aliens to imagine in your mind. He is highly likable and easy to cheer for, he has a lot of anxiety, more than a Hutt should have. Córdova in this story provides Churo a complete arc that tells a whole chapter of his life here, while also making us want to turn the page and see what the next chapter of his book is titled. For a project that overall has failed to make me like more than a character or two, it was refreshing to have one new entry stand out.
Yoda takes a seat and chats with the kids.
Let’s get away from the book for a second. I learned a lot about the Nameless in this book. I feel like there were aspects of what the Jedi know about the Nameless, the impacts of the Nameless attacks, and even how the Jedi see the Nameless that while hinted at in the adult High Republic books were clarified more strongly in this text. I found myself wondering if this text, outside of the main adult story line, was the place where readers should be looking for these clarifications. Are there going to be adults who never read this book due to the listed age range? Maybe Córdova hoped to give clarity to a youth reader, but I kept thinking shouldn’t Avar Kriss be discovering this? Even the fact there was a Nameless hunt felt like it should have been placed in the main story. And then the newest High Republic threat the Blight showed up, and I felt yet again I was getting more information than I got in the adult books where we watched heroes study the infection. Good on you Córdova, but the architects may have missed some of their strongest impact points.
Star Wars: The High Republic Beware the Nameless by Zoraida Córdova is a fine youth adventure story. I think the younger you are the better you will enjoy it. Córdova does give us a young new hero that I think is easy for readers of all ages to understand and enjoy. But I did walk away with more questions about how the High Republic is designed and more clarity on the Nameless.
September 1, 2024
The latest entry in the Star Wars: The High Republic series released this week, titled "Beware The Nameless" by Zoraida Cordova. The book is in many ways a sequel to "Escape From Valo", in that it progresses the story for many of the familiar characters we've grown to love while introducing us to some new favorites!
We're introduced to Churo the Hutt, the youngest in his family, and the proverbial black sheep of the family. Showing no interest in the "family business" and instead having a mind for science and nature. We also meet a new character with a familiar name. Zenny Greylark is the punk-rock youngest member of the Greylark family. Her mother is a Senator, Dad and older sister are members of the RDC. When the Stormwall went up, her father and sister were trapped in the Occlusion Zone. The final main character we are introduced to us Jedi youngling Jamil Sollis, who is frustrated and questioning his destiny as he has not been chosen as a Padawan yet.
We also catch up with Ram Jomaram, Kildo and Tep Tep, having returned to Coruscant with the Innovator medical frigate they rescued from Valo. Ram quickly went to work repairing the ship while the two Alcedian younglings resumed their studies.
***Story points and spoilers follow*****
The story opens with Churo being recruited by his sister to go on a mission to steal the Nihil's secret weapon that's been terrorizing the Jedi, which turns out to be a Nameless egg. The plan goes awry and Churo winds up marooned on a largely deserted planet.
Concurrently, the Jedi and RDC are mounting a response to a plea for assistance by the people of Mynos III, the same planet Churo and his sister traveled to. Ram leads the joint mission to free the planet and capture the Nameless on the planet for study. Unbeknownst to them all the Innovator has stowaways. Zenny, Kildo, Tep Tep and Jamil. On the way they pick up a distress signal and investigate, it turns out to be Churo. And the story progresses from there. (I'm not telling you the whole story, you gotta read it!)
The character work is outstanding
Churo joins Tep Tep as another absolutely precious youngster in the galaxy that must be protected at all costs. Kildo is that jokester that everyone wants in their group. Zenny and Jamil are complex characters who go through a transformative journey in the book. You feel for these kids.
Let's talk about the Nameless. They are horrifying. I don't know if it's because it's happening to kids, or what, but the descriptions of the Nameless attacks in this book and it's predecessor are absolutely harrowing.
I really enjoy Ram's progression. You see him becoming more of a leader and I'd be surprised if he doesn't become a Jedi Knight before the end of the High Republic story. I also really enjoy how Ram has kind of taken responsibility for Kildo and Tep Tep almost seeing them as "his kids".
I was really touched at Churo's story resolution and I'm eagerly waiting to see where we see him and the Lucky Turtle next.
Zoraida Cordova has done a wonderful job of weaving action, comedy, horror and heartwarming family stories into one book. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and absolutely devoured it over a 2 day period.
5 stars and another example of why you can't skip the Middle Grade novels.
We're introduced to Churo the Hutt, the youngest in his family, and the proverbial black sheep of the family. Showing no interest in the "family business" and instead having a mind for science and nature. We also meet a new character with a familiar name. Zenny Greylark is the punk-rock youngest member of the Greylark family. Her mother is a Senator, Dad and older sister are members of the RDC. When the Stormwall went up, her father and sister were trapped in the Occlusion Zone. The final main character we are introduced to us Jedi youngling Jamil Sollis, who is frustrated and questioning his destiny as he has not been chosen as a Padawan yet.
We also catch up with Ram Jomaram, Kildo and Tep Tep, having returned to Coruscant with the Innovator medical frigate they rescued from Valo. Ram quickly went to work repairing the ship while the two Alcedian younglings resumed their studies.
***Story points and spoilers follow*****
The story opens with Churo being recruited by his sister to go on a mission to steal the Nihil's secret weapon that's been terrorizing the Jedi, which turns out to be a Nameless egg. The plan goes awry and Churo winds up marooned on a largely deserted planet.
Concurrently, the Jedi and RDC are mounting a response to a plea for assistance by the people of Mynos III, the same planet Churo and his sister traveled to. Ram leads the joint mission to free the planet and capture the Nameless on the planet for study. Unbeknownst to them all the Innovator has stowaways. Zenny, Kildo, Tep Tep and Jamil. On the way they pick up a distress signal and investigate, it turns out to be Churo. And the story progresses from there. (I'm not telling you the whole story, you gotta read it!)
The character work is outstanding
Churo joins Tep Tep as another absolutely precious youngster in the galaxy that must be protected at all costs. Kildo is that jokester that everyone wants in their group. Zenny and Jamil are complex characters who go through a transformative journey in the book. You feel for these kids.
Let's talk about the Nameless. They are horrifying. I don't know if it's because it's happening to kids, or what, but the descriptions of the Nameless attacks in this book and it's predecessor are absolutely harrowing.
I really enjoy Ram's progression. You see him becoming more of a leader and I'd be surprised if he doesn't become a Jedi Knight before the end of the High Republic story. I also really enjoy how Ram has kind of taken responsibility for Kildo and Tep Tep almost seeing them as "his kids".
I was really touched at Churo's story resolution and I'm eagerly waiting to see where we see him and the Lucky Turtle next.
Zoraida Cordova has done a wonderful job of weaving action, comedy, horror and heartwarming family stories into one book. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and absolutely devoured it over a 2 day period.
5 stars and another example of why you can't skip the Middle Grade novels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2025
Beware the Nameless was another pretty great entry of the High Republic middle grade series. It had some great returning faces alongside some new characters that completely stole my heart. The plot was exciting and provided hints about overarching mysteries about the blight and nameless. I just had a really great time reading it and regret not picking it up sooner.
Tep Tep and Kildo were back in Beware the Nameless, and I loved every second I got to spend with them. Tep Tep’s love for creatures got some wonderful moments to shine. Kildo showed immense bravery for someone so young, and he helped some fellow younglings overcome their own fears. Ram returned in this story, as well, but he was mostly sidelined. His absence for most of the story was actually my biggest complaint about the plot. Although, I also understand that he’s older now, and the story wanted to focus on the younger kids having an adventure.
My favorite new character in Beware the Nameless was Churo the Hutt. He was obsessed with studying plants and insects. His personality was the opposite of what I’d expect from a Hutt, and I adored getting to see him make friends for the first time and figure out it was okay to just be himself. Zenny was a great character, too. She was quite impulsive, but I appreciated her bravery and her devotion to family. Jamil, another Jedi youngling, probably had some of the best growth other than Churo. He learned to overcome his fear while also gaining wisdom about his skills and readiness to become a Padawan.
The plot of Beware the Nameless was adventurous and downright scary at times. A simple rescue mission turned into a horror story when the younglings faced the monstrous Nameless. The author held no punches as the children faced some significant losses. The atmosphere was tense throughout and kept me on the edge of my seat. There were a lot of moving parts in this story, and it managed to balance it all quite well.
Overall, this was an epic middle grade addition to the High Republic narrative. The characters stole my heart, and the story kept me glued to the page. I definitely recommend that it not be skipped if you are reading phase three of the High Republic. Therefore, I rate Beware the Nameless 4.25 out of 5 stars.
Tep Tep and Kildo were back in Beware the Nameless, and I loved every second I got to spend with them. Tep Tep’s love for creatures got some wonderful moments to shine. Kildo showed immense bravery for someone so young, and he helped some fellow younglings overcome their own fears. Ram returned in this story, as well, but he was mostly sidelined. His absence for most of the story was actually my biggest complaint about the plot. Although, I also understand that he’s older now, and the story wanted to focus on the younger kids having an adventure.
My favorite new character in Beware the Nameless was Churo the Hutt. He was obsessed with studying plants and insects. His personality was the opposite of what I’d expect from a Hutt, and I adored getting to see him make friends for the first time and figure out it was okay to just be himself. Zenny was a great character, too. She was quite impulsive, but I appreciated her bravery and her devotion to family. Jamil, another Jedi youngling, probably had some of the best growth other than Churo. He learned to overcome his fear while also gaining wisdom about his skills and readiness to become a Padawan.
The plot of Beware the Nameless was adventurous and downright scary at times. A simple rescue mission turned into a horror story when the younglings faced the monstrous Nameless. The author held no punches as the children faced some significant losses. The atmosphere was tense throughout and kept me on the edge of my seat. There were a lot of moving parts in this story, and it managed to balance it all quite well.
Overall, this was an epic middle grade addition to the High Republic narrative. The characters stole my heart, and the story kept me glued to the page. I definitely recommend that it not be skipped if you are reading phase three of the High Republic. Therefore, I rate Beware the Nameless 4.25 out of 5 stars.
October 2, 2024
Star Wars: The High Republic: Beware the Nameless | Book Review
My latest venture into A Galaxy Far, Far Away… was Zoraida Córdova’s Star Wars: The High Republic: Beware the Nameless. The middle grade modern surprisingly really advances Phase III of the High Republic publishing initiative in ways that I wasn’t expecting.
Beware The Nameless is the second to last middle grade nice that we’re going to be getting in the set publishing initiative. It’s hard to imagine that we’re almost done with this whole thing, but here we are. This is Córdova’s second book in the initiative following the adult novel Convergence from Phase II.
The main plot of the book revolves around a mostly-young group of Jedi and other Republic characters trying to capture two Nameless to bring back to Coruscant to be studied. It doesn’t exactly start that way, but it’s precisely where we end up. The book also expertly weaves in the story of the Hutts trying to capture a Nameless egg from the Nihil as a neat wrinkle.
I really liked that this book carried over nearly all of the young characters from Escape From Valo but also made them partially side characters so they were more in the background. This allowed the main newer characters like Zenny Greylark, Jamil Solid, and my personal favorite Churo the Hutt to get the most of the front and center treatment.
I loved seeing Ram Jomaran being thrust into a leadership position once again, but this time he takes the opportunity willingly, knowing that it’s his responsibility as a Jedi Knight to lead the way.
Like the previously mentioned Escape From Valo, Córdova continues moving the main story of the era forward while rewarding folks who are reading everything in the publishing initiative. Beware the Nameless is a fun addition to the saga.
My latest venture into A Galaxy Far, Far Away… was Zoraida Córdova’s Star Wars: The High Republic: Beware the Nameless. The middle grade modern surprisingly really advances Phase III of the High Republic publishing initiative in ways that I wasn’t expecting.
Beware The Nameless is the second to last middle grade nice that we’re going to be getting in the set publishing initiative. It’s hard to imagine that we’re almost done with this whole thing, but here we are. This is Córdova’s second book in the initiative following the adult novel Convergence from Phase II.
The main plot of the book revolves around a mostly-young group of Jedi and other Republic characters trying to capture two Nameless to bring back to Coruscant to be studied. It doesn’t exactly start that way, but it’s precisely where we end up. The book also expertly weaves in the story of the Hutts trying to capture a Nameless egg from the Nihil as a neat wrinkle.
I really liked that this book carried over nearly all of the young characters from Escape From Valo but also made them partially side characters so they were more in the background. This allowed the main newer characters like Zenny Greylark, Jamil Solid, and my personal favorite Churo the Hutt to get the most of the front and center treatment.
I loved seeing Ram Jomaran being thrust into a leadership position once again, but this time he takes the opportunity willingly, knowing that it’s his responsibility as a Jedi Knight to lead the way.
Like the previously mentioned Escape From Valo, Córdova continues moving the main story of the era forward while rewarding folks who are reading everything in the publishing initiative. Beware the Nameless is a fun addition to the saga.
October 12, 2024
Beware the Nameless is one of the Star Wars junior novels set during Phase 3 of the High Republic era. It was written by Zoraida Cordova and published in 2024. It is set after the events of the junior novel Escape from Valo. In it, a group of Jedi set out to capture one of the force-eating creatures that the Jedi refer to as The Nameless and that the Nihil call Levelers, that the Nihil has used to kill multiple Jedi. A group of younglings (who stow away aboard one of the ships embarking on the mission) end up teaming with a young Hutt named Churo, who has been sent by his sister to recover a Leveler egg to bring back to his clan.
The hardcover version of the book is moderately long, just under 325 pages. Unlike some junior novels, which tell ancillary one-off stories, this one advances the overall plot of the High-Republic era quite a bit. In this book, we learn more about the Levelers, including how they can affect non-force users. The characters in the book are mostly new, although Ram Jomaram (who has been in a few of the junior novels) does appear, and Yoda appears at the very end of the book. Because it is a junior novel, it reads very quickly. It includes a handful of comic illustrations, giving us an actual look at the Levelers, which have been described in very vague terms in the prior novels (and we learn why that is in this book). Even though it is written for a younger audience and some of the dialogue can be a bit silly, it is good enough for adults to enjoy. If you are a fan of the High Republic stories but do not get all the books, this one is worth reading.
The hardcover version of the book is moderately long, just under 325 pages. Unlike some junior novels, which tell ancillary one-off stories, this one advances the overall plot of the High-Republic era quite a bit. In this book, we learn more about the Levelers, including how they can affect non-force users. The characters in the book are mostly new, although Ram Jomaram (who has been in a few of the junior novels) does appear, and Yoda appears at the very end of the book. Because it is a junior novel, it reads very quickly. It includes a handful of comic illustrations, giving us an actual look at the Levelers, which have been described in very vague terms in the prior novels (and we learn why that is in this book). Even though it is written for a younger audience and some of the dialogue can be a bit silly, it is good enough for adults to enjoy. If you are a fan of the High Republic stories but do not get all the books, this one is worth reading.
December 3, 2024
The second 'Middle Grade' book of the High Republic's Phase 3, following-on from 'Escape from Valo'.
Ram Jomaram leads a mission to capture some of the Nameless, the creatures which have been terrorising the Jedi Order, but during the mission a group of Republic agents and Jedi have to detour to the planet Palagosal to answer a distress signal.
This book doesn't get off to the best start, introducing us to a tween Hutt who is vegetarian and doesn't want to be part of his family's criminal business. Does the author think none of us saw 'Shark Tale'?
It doesn't get much better when a series of highly contrived circumstances put a Senator's daughter and a bunch of Jedi younglings on the same planet as Churo the Hutt. Seriously, the Senator's daughter has a missing sister, assumes that a completely random distress signal from a random planet must be from her and, albeit in a slightly roundabout way, actually turns out to be right.
The Jedi characters here aren't much better, being the less-interesting second-string characters left over from 'Escape from Valo' (even Ram, never my favourite, isn't really involved in much of the book).
It's not all bad and some of the scenes in the book, particularly those involving confrontations with the sinister Nameless, are actually pretty good; but nevertheless I couldn't escape the feeling that, after six of these Middle Grade books, the series should be doing more than just spinning it's wheels.
Also, 'tortles' is the worst name for a Star Wars creature ever.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
Ram Jomaram leads a mission to capture some of the Nameless, the creatures which have been terrorising the Jedi Order, but during the mission a group of Republic agents and Jedi have to detour to the planet Palagosal to answer a distress signal.
This book doesn't get off to the best start, introducing us to a tween Hutt who is vegetarian and doesn't want to be part of his family's criminal business. Does the author think none of us saw 'Shark Tale'?
It doesn't get much better when a series of highly contrived circumstances put a Senator's daughter and a bunch of Jedi younglings on the same planet as Churo the Hutt. Seriously, the Senator's daughter has a missing sister, assumes that a completely random distress signal from a random planet must be from her and, albeit in a slightly roundabout way, actually turns out to be right.
The Jedi characters here aren't much better, being the less-interesting second-string characters left over from 'Escape from Valo' (even Ram, never my favourite, isn't really involved in much of the book).
It's not all bad and some of the scenes in the book, particularly those involving confrontations with the sinister Nameless, are actually pretty good; but nevertheless I couldn't escape the feeling that, after six of these Middle Grade books, the series should be doing more than just spinning it's wheels.
Also, 'tortles' is the worst name for a Star Wars creature ever.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
November 10, 2024
This was definitely one of my favorite Middle Grade HR books. The plot contributed important elements to the larger scheme of this phase of stories and also continued conversations from the adult books in a thoughtful yet kid-appropriate way.
I was obsessed with Churo the Hutt, and I think his character was so well-developed. I love how much this sweet nerd boy transformed throughout this story to become more sure of himself and how he got the chance to befriend the most accepting (& some of my favorite) Jedi younglings, Kildo and Tep Tep.
As always, I am a huge Ram fan, and I love getting to see him rise in estimation among the Jedi, from him being trusted to take on this mission in the first place to him being asked for feedback from the Jedi Council. While I wished at first that he had been in the plot of the story a bit more, I think it was also important for “his kids” to have an adventure without him! We can see how much they are growing from his mentorship.
I also loved the Greylark family connection, considering that Axel Greylark has been one of my favorite HR characters and I am always curious to know more about this family.
Lastly, I love these stories for how they empower kids to take charge of their lives, to meet new people and unlearn prejudices, to learn new things and change their minds, to navigate fear and also hope, and to recognize how to make big choices (like Jamil confidently deciding that he wasn’t ready to advance to Padawan status).
I was obsessed with Churo the Hutt, and I think his character was so well-developed. I love how much this sweet nerd boy transformed throughout this story to become more sure of himself and how he got the chance to befriend the most accepting (& some of my favorite) Jedi younglings, Kildo and Tep Tep.
As always, I am a huge Ram fan, and I love getting to see him rise in estimation among the Jedi, from him being trusted to take on this mission in the first place to him being asked for feedback from the Jedi Council. While I wished at first that he had been in the plot of the story a bit more, I think it was also important for “his kids” to have an adventure without him! We can see how much they are growing from his mentorship.
I also loved the Greylark family connection, considering that Axel Greylark has been one of my favorite HR characters and I am always curious to know more about this family.
Lastly, I love these stories for how they empower kids to take charge of their lives, to meet new people and unlearn prejudices, to learn new things and change their minds, to navigate fear and also hope, and to recognize how to make big choices (like Jamil confidently deciding that he wasn’t ready to advance to Padawan status).
August 28, 2024
Zoraida Cordova brings an adventure chock-full of fun in Beware the Nameless . This book primarily follows our Jedi younglings from Valo, with a few new notable additions, that of brave, stubborn Zenny Greylark (yes, of the famous family from phase 2) and nervous, inquisitive Churo the Hutt.
The younglings, along with our two newcomers and a few allies, search for a missing Greylark family member on a backwater planet ravished by the Nihil. However, the Nihil aren't the ones waiting for them, two of the terrifying and haunting force-eating creatures of Nihil Leader Marchion Ro stalk this planet, and they're hungry!
Yes there are plenty of fun easter eggs and references to delight in, but I think the main lesson this novel reminds us of is to not assume someone's character on first glance. No matter your history with a group or your beliefs that you have been taught, everyone is different and can definitely surprise you. I'm glad young readers will absorb this important lesson!
My one notable critique is that of our young villain, I felt like she wasn't fleshed out enough and felt more like a one-off character. I would've loved to see Drigit or even Krix, even if they weren't necessarily connected to our younglings story, and instead of Ram's story so we wouldn't just get a recap at the end.
lastly, TEP TEP IS THE BEST GIRL! we love her!! <3
The younglings, along with our two newcomers and a few allies, search for a missing Greylark family member on a backwater planet ravished by the Nihil. However, the Nihil aren't the ones waiting for them, two of the terrifying and haunting force-eating creatures of Nihil Leader Marchion Ro stalk this planet, and they're hungry!
Yes there are plenty of fun easter eggs and references to delight in, but I think the main lesson this novel reminds us of is to not assume someone's character on first glance. No matter your history with a group or your beliefs that you have been taught, everyone is different and can definitely surprise you. I'm glad young readers will absorb this important lesson!
My one notable critique is that of our young villain, I felt like she wasn't fleshed out enough and felt more like a one-off character. I would've loved to see Drigit or even Krix, even if they weren't necessarily connected to our younglings story, and instead of Ram's story so we wouldn't just get a recap at the end.
lastly, TEP TEP IS THE BEST GIRL! we love her!! <3
September 29, 2024
This story continues the main story threads we have been following in the phase three story line. A mixed group of Padawans , civilians, Jedi Knights and masters find themselves on a rescue mission that puts them in the path of several dangerous Nihil as well as the Nameless threat.
I really loved the crew in this story. We get to see more of the lives impacted on various planets as the Nihil Occlusion Zone expands. I loved seeing Ram and his little younglings again as well as meeting new characters like Zenny Greylark and Churo the Hutt.
There is a nice balance of action and character development and some heartbreak, I really loved the themes of resistance and found family in this book. The middle grade books in the High Republic have never shied away from damger and loss but also resonate with lots of hope.
I really loved seeing a mixed group of non Force users stepping up and capturing some of The Nameless and also watching the Jedi learning tools to help push back against the fears that they bring.
I really enjoy Zorida's contributions to the world of the High Republic, she does a great job bringing in story threads from the other Phase III novels as well as expanding on the characters motivations and character growth.
I really loved the crew in this story. We get to see more of the lives impacted on various planets as the Nihil Occlusion Zone expands. I loved seeing Ram and his little younglings again as well as meeting new characters like Zenny Greylark and Churo the Hutt.
There is a nice balance of action and character development and some heartbreak, I really loved the themes of resistance and found family in this book. The middle grade books in the High Republic have never shied away from damger and loss but also resonate with lots of hope.
I really loved seeing a mixed group of non Force users stepping up and capturing some of The Nameless and also watching the Jedi learning tools to help push back against the fears that they bring.
I really enjoy Zorida's contributions to the world of the High Republic, she does a great job bringing in story threads from the other Phase III novels as well as expanding on the characters motivations and character growth.
May 21, 2025
"I did not like it." - 1 out of 5 star rating.
Another disappointing, lackluster tale, that reuses most of the same content over and over again, with characters you don't care about, with a strong chance of scattered ideology imbedded within that I personally want to be entirely excluded in my fantasy and science-fiction literature aka pleasure reading.
I am officially done with Star Wars: The High Republic for now and most likely a very long time in the foreseeable future.
At the time of this entry, I have completed all High Republic comic books that have a start/stop date of May 2025. There are some comics that out now and currently are underway/on-going with additional issues that will release to the right of this entry, however I am not going to consider those concluded at this time and shall not start them as a general rule of thumb for comic book series for myself. These are no different.
Book wise, I have gone through each and every one of them that is available at my local public library and that to me is certainly good enough for this era of Star Wars - my absolute least favorite of all eras.
Again, huge sigh of relief to be officially done with my 2025 High Republic push.
Another disappointing, lackluster tale, that reuses most of the same content over and over again, with characters you don't care about, with a strong chance of scattered ideology imbedded within that I personally want to be entirely excluded in my fantasy and science-fiction literature aka pleasure reading.
I am officially done with Star Wars: The High Republic for now and most likely a very long time in the foreseeable future.
At the time of this entry, I have completed all High Republic comic books that have a start/stop date of May 2025. There are some comics that out now and currently are underway/on-going with additional issues that will release to the right of this entry, however I am not going to consider those concluded at this time and shall not start them as a general rule of thumb for comic book series for myself. These are no different.
Book wise, I have gone through each and every one of them that is available at my local public library and that to me is certainly good enough for this era of Star Wars - my absolute least favorite of all eras.
Again, huge sigh of relief to be officially done with my 2025 High Republic push.
October 22, 2025
Zenny Graylark is desperate to find her sister, so she sneaks aboard the Innovator. She isn't the only stowaway - she's joined by Jedi younglings Tep Tep, Kildo and Jamil. A transmission from Palagosal has Zenny convinced her sister is there. She and the younglings get the go-ahead to search. But first they find Churo, an unHutt-like Hutt with a secret - and then something terrifying and dangerous.
Due to a postage delay, I accidentally read the book set after this first and I quickly became a fan of Churo. I'm still a fan. I love this guy - er, Hutt. So I was pretty happy to meet him properly this time. And the other characters are so easily likeable (even Tep Tep - I think I'm slowly recovering from the subpar narration in those Drengir audiobooks).
The story was pretty good as well; I was mostly engaged. I was, however, constantly distracted by Ram's absence. He's been a big presence in other books, so I was expecting a bit more for him. His concurrent mission is quickly wrapped up in a few paragraphs towards the end. I might not have been a Ram fan but that was weird. Surely he deserved a better sendoff in his own books! I know we see him in the comics after this... it's just not the same.
The Ram weirdness aside, this is a really solid MG instalment.
Due to a postage delay, I accidentally read the book set after this first and I quickly became a fan of Churo. I'm still a fan. I love this guy - er, Hutt. So I was pretty happy to meet him properly this time. And the other characters are so easily likeable (even Tep Tep - I think I'm slowly recovering from the subpar narration in those Drengir audiobooks).
The story was pretty good as well; I was mostly engaged. I was, however, constantly distracted by Ram's absence. He's been a big presence in other books, so I was expecting a bit more for him. His concurrent mission is quickly wrapped up in a few paragraphs towards the end. I might not have been a Ram fan but that was weird. Surely he deserved a better sendoff in his own books! I know we see him in the comics after this... it's just not the same.
The Ram weirdness aside, this is a really solid MG instalment.
February 10, 2025
Intended for young Star Wars readers, I have no doubt that this will also be entertaining for older fans. No reading of other High Republic books is necessary to understand this book, though if one has the threat of the Nameless will be greater.
As with these previous smaller sized books, a group of younglings have to work together to overcome obstacles and arrive at safety. Among the children is Churo the Hutt who is recruited by his sister to go with her to steal a weapon that the Nihil are using. It's an egg and Churo is able to get it, but is separated from his sister. A diplomatic team is heading to the Outer Rim to search for a missing Greylark daughter. A distress signal is heard from a planet and a jedi and some younglings, some stowaways, go there to investigate while the adults continue on their mission. These characters crash on the same planet where Churo is and they find themselves all pursued by a pair of the Nameless.
This is fun with great characters, excellent action, and plenty of emotion that isn't drowning in sweetness or messages. It's a combination of the best of Disney films and Marvel Comics.
A recommended read.
As with these previous smaller sized books, a group of younglings have to work together to overcome obstacles and arrive at safety. Among the children is Churo the Hutt who is recruited by his sister to go with her to steal a weapon that the Nihil are using. It's an egg and Churo is able to get it, but is separated from his sister. A diplomatic team is heading to the Outer Rim to search for a missing Greylark daughter. A distress signal is heard from a planet and a jedi and some younglings, some stowaways, go there to investigate while the adults continue on their mission. These characters crash on the same planet where Churo is and they find themselves all pursued by a pair of the Nameless.
This is fun with great characters, excellent action, and plenty of emotion that isn't drowning in sweetness or messages. It's a combination of the best of Disney films and Marvel Comics.
A recommended read.
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