Fatalna misja

Star Wars: The High Republic

by Justina Ireland, Pétur Antonsson (Illustrator), Anna Hikiert-Bereza (Translator)

Jedi sądzą, że udało im się pokonać straszliwych najeźdźców zwanych Nihilami. Przywódcę piratów zmuszono do odwrotu, a ich szeregi zostały przetrzebione. Rycerka Jedi Vernestra Rwoh liczy na to, że dzięki temu w końcu będzie mogła poświęcić więcej czasu na szkolenie swojego padawana Imriego Cantarosa… jednak jej nadzieje wkrótce niweczą doniesienia na temat ataku Nihilów na Port Haileap. Okazuje się, że bezwzględni grabieżcy nie tylko napadli na pokojową placówkę – porwali również Avon Starros, przyjaciółkę Vernestry i Imriego. Dwójka Jedi udaje się na Haileap, aby ustalić, dokąd zabrali ją kosmiczni łupieżcy. Tymczasem spryt i talenty samej Avon zostają wystawione na próbę, gdy dziewczynka walczy o przetrwanie pośród Nihilów, odkrywając jednocześnie ich niecne plany. Czy Vernestra i jej padawan zdołają ją odnaleźć i ocalić, zanim dojdzie do katastrofy?

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Audiobook, Fantasy, Novels

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 4, 2022

About the author

Justina Ireland is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous books including Dread Nation and its sequel Deathless Divide, the middle-grade novel Ophie's Ghosts, which won the Scott O'Dell award for historical fiction, and a number of Star Wars books including Flight of the Falcon: Lando’s Luck, Spark of the Resistance, A Test of Courage, Out of the Shadows, and Mission to Disaster. She is a former editor in chief of FIYAH Literary Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction, for which she won a World Fantasy Award. She holds a BA in History from Georgia Southern and an MFA in Creative Writing from Hamline University.

Reviews

[megs_bookrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

**4.5-stars**

Mission to Disaster is a Junior Star Wars novel set in the era of the High Republic. The events in this novel follow those of the 2021-HR releases, but still 200-years prior to The Phantom Menace.



After the startling events of the Republic Fair, the galaxy has been put on alert. The Nihil are much more of a threat than the Jedi initially anticipated.

They're cunning and calculated, seeming to have influence everywhere.



Kicking off this novel, I was quickly reunited with one of my favorite new characters from the HR releases, Avon Starros.

Avon, the daughter of a Senator, is gifted in science and invention. She's currently stationed at Port Haileap, due to her mother's wishes, but is finally getting the opportunity to research kyber crystals, so that's a win.

Avon hopes to discover new ways to harness the power of the crystals in a way that will help everyone; think clean energy research. She finds herself in her lab on the day the spaceport comes under attack.



After receiving an alert call from Port Haileap, Jedi Vernestra Rwoh and her Padawan, Imri Cantaros, get sent to investigate.

Arriving to Avon's lab, Vernestra and Imri are able to discover a survivor of the attack, but she tells them Avon is gone, perhaps captured by the Nihil!



Following clues discovered during their investigation, Vernestra and Imri find themselves on Dalna in the Outer Rim Territories; a known area of operation for the Nihil.

There they work with the government and people of Dalna to the best of their ability, to find Avon and any other children the Nihil may have captured. They face some difficulties there, as the people of Dalna aren't too fond of the Jedis.



Avon, for her part, is in fact a hostage of the Nihil. Even worse, she is made to aid the Nihil's version of an evil scientist, Dr. Mkampa, in assembling horrifying weapons.

It's a race against time, as the Jedi try to help the people of Dalna and hopefully defeat the evil Nihil organization once and for all. Will they be able to rescue everyone before true disaster strikes?



I had such a great time reading this story. I actually listened to the audiobook and as is known with Star Wars audios, the production was magnificent. All of the sound effects make you feel like you are a part of the action!

I was excited to get another HR novel from Justina Ireland. She puts a lot of heart into her stories. The characters are so well developed. I loved being reunited with many characters from this era. I feel like I am really getting to know them.



Following the Great Disaster, the galaxy is unstable and these young characters have had a lot to deal with. I feel like they've all shown incredible growth, now rivaling the maturity level of the adults around them.

This was super fast-paced and exciting. There was never a dull moment. Additionally, I loved learning more about the mysterious Nihil. The full picture is really starting to become clear as far as they are concerned.



I'm looking forward to continuing on with the High Republic era. This was a quick one, but don't let the length fool you. There is a ton of stellar content packed in here!!!

Thank you to the publisher, Disney and LucasFilms Press, for providing me with the audiobook. It was such a treat!

[Jim C · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is another offering in The High Republic series. This is a novella aimed at young children. That being said there were parts of the book that read more like a novel for adults than for children. Nothing graphic. I guess what I am saying this book wasn't dumbed down for the target audience. In this one, the Nihil are weak and they are kidnapping children to strengthen their numbers. One of the children they end up kidnapping is very close to our Jedi heroes.

I have stated before I am not a fan of this series so this offering just falls in line for me. I think my problem is that I am not connecting to any particular character throughout the whole run. I will say that I did connect with Imri in this book especially towards the end. Great character development for that particular character. I was liking this book until the solution to the problem. For me it did not fit for this universe. It felt more like a Doctor Who solution than this universe. While I like that universe also I didn't think it belongs in this universe. I am also having a problem with the Nihil. Am I really suppose to believe that they are this formidable?

At this point I am really not expecting much from this series. So I wasn't disappointed with this offering. It met expectations. I would like one to exceed expectations though. I think this series is dragging along to long. It feels like Disney doesn't know what the next stage is for this universe. And until they figure it out they just keep adding more to this series. I am at the point where I am saying "when is this run going to end"? So maybe my review is a little skewed towards the negative side and you might like this offering more than I did.

[Alexandra Elend Wolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

“It looked like a plan for the worst sleepover ever.”

Mission to Disaster is quite the fun, straightforward, and surprisingly chilling new story starring some old characters, Vernestra, Imri and Avon, and a brand new, Nihil caused calamity.

As Ireland's previous book, A Test of Courage, this one is quite a simple story ticking off all the right beats and plots to move it forward, but it manages to feel fresh, intriguing, and full of heart in a very enticing and grabbing way.

Definitely, after the bigger catastrophes we get to explore in this time period, it makes for a good break and a perfect, quick, fun read.

“Avon loved technology because of the way it could make people’s lives better, but Dr. Mkampa was a reminder that not everyone felt that way about science.”

In a way, this installment feels more centered on exploring Avon as a character; which I'm totally fine with because she is quite an interesting person. Her wits and resourcefulness make her a capable, reliable child but tend to put her in bad spots thanks to her curiosity. Which can then lead to all sorts of shenanigans.

Seeing her dealing with everything, though it always managed to awe me also gave me anxiety because this child certainly doesn't have a good ratio for self-preservation.

Vernestra and Imri have their own little arcs bu, considering how well we have been exploring them through comics, and other books they felt more settled and grounded; sure in what they were doing and than dealing what came their way. Of course, that was its own kind of fun.

Truly, it is the charm and magnetism of these characters that make this, comparably simpler, plot stand out so much and become quite the journey.

As it is a High Republic Chronicles book - as I am calling them - there were the expected cameos that made me brighten up a little, but I'm glad they stayed at that.

“Tranquility, Imri. Through serenity comes strength.”

I may keep saying that the plot of this book was simple and straightforward but that doesn't mean that it didn't have a surprisingly somber tone and, quite honestly, one that gave me chills even if it was presented in a vanilla, soft, sort of way, quite understandably considering its target audience.

Touching base with the Nihil is always an unsettling and harrowing task, more so whenever the dreadful Eye of the Storm is present, and we have certainly seen them do some things but the teams dealt with here were just unpalatable enough that they felt bigger.

Mixed in with some things that we have been aware of for quite some time, though perhaps not to the extent we witness now, it certainly helps to give the ever-present, and ever more ominous Nihil new tones and set the stage for this closing Phase squarely where they wanted it, grimm and oppressing.

“She was so different now than she had been when she first arrived on the planet, and she experienced a curious feeling as she walked through familiar buildings that had changed just slightly like she was two versions of herself at once: the young Knight who had once been eager to report for duty and the battle-savvy Knight who had a Padawan and was regularly called to fight for the light. She wondered what her previous self would say about this version.”

With a quick-paced, mystery/thriller story developing over the mysterious disappearance of people on different planets we encounter yet another side to this interplanetary war.

Interestingly enough, we also get some of how some people regard the Jedi which is always interesting to see and to discover why those views are there. Learning about this enormous galaxy will never not call my attention.

Even though I hesitated for a while before reading it, it definitely lived to my expectations and surpassed them fairly. If nothing more, I am even more in love with these characters now.

“Balance in all things was important, but where did cruelty fit into that structure? Nowhere, as far as he was concerned.”

“She tried to ignore the strange feeling that perhaps the Nihil were more resilient than the Jedi and the Republic knew.”

__________________

And that's a wrap.

This was nice, but certainly a lot less thrilling than I was expecting.

On the plus side, we got a lot of Avon and that alone feels like a huge victory.

RTC.
__________________

I think it's about time I come back to this series and read this book.

Honestly, my biggest motivation right now is that I don't want the books to pile up with Phase Two... Though I am curious as to what will happen here.

I quite enjoyed Ireland's previous book in the series so I have some expectations for this one. Nothing too crazy, but I do expect a simple but good time.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I read this novel after The Fallen Star, it is important to know the plot of Mission to Disaster actually takes place before it. You’ll notice this pretty quickly when you start the book, but it has since also been confirmed by the authors (see Daniel José Older’s Twitter).
Storywise, by now, the ranks of the Nihil have been thinned through the efforts of the Republic and the Jedi, making the youngest Jedi Knight in generations, Vernestra Rwoh, hope to finally have enough time to train her Padawan Imri Cantaros. However, their training is quickly interrupted by a call for help from Port Haileap, and the two Jedi set out to find their scientist friend Avon Starros, who has been kidnapped by the Nihil. Their search leads them to the planet Dalna, where they meet old acquaintances and new Jedi colleagues, and together they set off to track down the Nihil ...

Characters with heart and soul

In Mission to Disaster, Justina Ireland manages to seamlessly build upon the character developments she already established in her previous High Republic works. The main cast of the middle grade novel should be familiar to most readers - Vernestra, Imri, Avon Starros, J-6, and Honesty Weft, all of whom experienced quite the adventure on Wevo in A Test of Courage that was surprisingly moving and mature. Meanwhile, the Jedi characters Vernestra and Imri have also made appearances in young adult format, as we accompanied the two of them and a motley investigation crew in search of a Nihil weapon in Out of the Shadows. At first, I had reservations about whether the shift back to a novel for a younger target group would do justice to the characters and their developments from the second publishing wave, and I still think that Vernestra in particular would be better off in Young Adult novels, however, the characters still work in a middle grade setting - especially since Ireland references the developments from Out of the Shadows, so young readers can understand how the Jedi have evolved in the meantime. But the protagonists also go through relatable and and important character development in the given novel itself. One of these instances is when Vernestra enters a ruined corridor that she used to walk through daily during her time on Port Haileap. There, she reflects on her journey so far, and compares herself to the person she was at that time. While she doesn't go through events quite as formative as those in Out of the Shadows, there is still plenty of room for her to grow in this story, and Ireland makes use of it beautifully.

Her student Imri, someone I couldn’t quite relate to in A Test of Courage yet, is all the more appealing to me in Mission to Disaster and has developed into a secret favorite of mine. His empathic abilities and how he learned to use them lead to some heartwarming moments and the Padawan has become a multi-layered character over the course of the first phase. I would love to read more stories about him in the future. Another interesting factor about Mission to Disaster is that not all the characters always stay together, and even Imri and Vernestra are forced go their separate ways at times, helping Imri learn how to handle more responsibility. The master-apprentice relationship between the two is a big highlight of the novel for me, and reading about how both Jedi are starting to be more comfortable in their roles is just pure fun.

On the Jedi side, we are introduced to some new characters - Yacek Sparkburn, Lyssa Votz and Nyla Quinn. While these Jedi are not in the spotlight and act more as supporting characters for the protagonists, we still get to know them well enough to get a good picture of and grow fond of them. A certain amount of good humor is provided by droid J-6, who doesn't mince words due to Avon's modifications and cheekily voices her opinion (which she isn't supposed to have) without remorse. A reunion with Honesty enriches the novel with another already established character whose return made me smile brightly.

Meanwhile, Avon has to fight her way through Nihil captivity all on her own. It is her, in particular, who goes through a greater character development in Mission to Disaster than she has before - one that is sure to have consequences for her in terms of her future approach to problems and her rash behavior towards others. This is not the first time Avon has been kidnapped, but she knows full well that she is smarter than some of the people superior to her. She goes into confrontations with bold confidence, but now realizes that this cannot always work out for her and that there are people in the galaxy who can see through her, too. Over the course of the novel, Avon learns from her mistakes and by the end, her journey reaches a point that conclusively characterizes her development within this plot and concludes it with great satisfaction.

I also enjoyed meeting the Nihil characters, who appeared to be way more calculated in this novel than they did in other The High Republic works. The new Tempest Runner Kara Xoo, leader of her decimated Tempest, as well as Deva Lompop and Dr. Mkampa are all not to be underestimated. Since, in my opinion, the antagonist's perspective came up short in The Fallen Star, I was all the more excited to learn how the Nihil mobilise themselves after their losses and what questionable methods they have now resorted to in this novel.

Hidden Danger

In addition to the wonderful character development, Justina Ireland has also done a great job of creating an authentic atmosphere. The destroyed Port Haileap marks the beginning of that, followed by the small but unstable world of Dalna, which is masterfully brought to life by the author. Both the Jedi temple on the planet and its surroundings are described vividly, and the colorful architecture of the settlements and the environment plagued by natural events create the convincing atmosphere of a remote but extremely lively world. Of course, there is no shortage of creatures either, some of which are friendlier than others. Ireland manages to convey a sense of danger without losing focus on the Jedi's determination, while also sprinkling in some mysterious references.

These clues and references are another reason why Mission to Disaster works so well. We meet a character we know from one of Ireland's other works in the first chapter already, and as an excerpt from the novel has already revealed, other Jedi such as Keeve Trennis or Sskeer are mentioned as well. There are multiple references to the events of the Great Disaster, the Republic Fair or the search for Gravity's Heart. As a reader, you are not blindsided by information, but subtly reminded of the state the galaxy is in, as well as the characters’ state of mind. In case you missed a book or comic, Ireland portrays all the relevant developments you need to know, making the novel’s story feel extremely connected to the overall plot of the High Republic. The various references to the history of certain places, which could turn out to be important especially in regard to Phase 2 of the era, and the numerous cross-references and appearances of characters from other media like the short stories, attest to Justina Ireland's great feel for the era and its core concepts. The inclusion of the cruiser Halcyon is something I’ll leave up to you to judge for yourselves, but at least the ship's appearance didn't get out of hand and was incorporated as organically as a kind of in-universe product placement can be. I also want to point out that if you haven't read A Test of Courage, you should do so before reading this novel, especially since the characters are introduced there. Reading Out of the Shadows can't hurt either but is less essential for understanding the story at hand. With the knowledge from one of these two works you should be able to experience this story with enough preparation.

Mission to Disaster is also important considering that, as mentioned above, it takes place before The Fallen Star and provides important clues about Starlight Beacon and the whereabouts of some characters. However, it’s best if you find these out for yourself, and at this point I’d only briefly like to mention the comic The High Republic #12 as one of the major ties.

Conflicts to make you think

Justina Ireland once again includes a lot of mature themes in her middle grade novel - more than one might expect from a book aimed at a young audience. One of those I’d like to point out is how she approaches the subject of science. Both Avon and Dr. Mkampa are avid scientists - but use it for completely different reasons. Should you strive for scientific progress if it can be used for destruction? What happens when good ideas are alientated for these purposes? The science aspect is actually one of the few criticisms I have about this novel. While I always find it exciting to learn more about the workings of hyperspace or, in this case, kyber crystals, the explanatory passages in this book were pretty hard to follow and I didn't really get to try to understand the whole thing. However, since this only affects a few sentences, and I’m fine with crystals remaining a mystery to me, it didn’t bother me much in the end.

The novel also does not neglect the interpersonal aspects between its characters. Justina Ireland addresses a particularly exciting topic through Vernestra's and Imri's conflict of wanting to save their friend, but having to protect the lives of many others at the same time. Thus, they must not put Avon's life above that of the other helpless citizens, even though it may be more worrying to them personally at the moment. This also makes the friendship bewteen the characters shine, which warmed my heart and managed to touch me over and over again. It’s especially Imri and Vernestra's appreciation for each other and their concern for Avon that gripped me, making me feel emotionally invested while reading.

The final important central theme of the novel is the confrontation with the past. There are the Jedi who try to work with residents that don't trust them because of past events. There’s Avon, who is kidnapped for the second time in her life. On the other hand, we’ve got Vernestra and Imri, who see their old home destroyed, and Honesty, whose current one is in danger. Again and again, different events remind the protagonists of what they have lived through or lost, what made them grow and what they have learned from.

High-quality illustrations

Finally, I would like to briefly mention the wonderful illustrations by Petur Antonsson. One of them has already been shown to us in advance and depicts Starlight Beacon in its full glory. Of course, that kind of rubs the events of The Fallen Star in, at least in case you’ve read the adult novel already. However, the other two previously unseen illustrations (which you're best off discovering for yourself in the novel) are beautifully painted and, as you'd expect from Antonsson, packed with lots of detail and bright colors. That alone makes the print version of the book worth buying!

Conclusion – A novel for all ages

In Mission to Disaster, Justina Ireland continues her great work (no pun intended) from A Test of Courage and Out of the Shadows. The novel enthralls you with comprehensible and nuanced character development, beautifully crafted interpersonal relationships and a gripping atmosphere. Action and quiet moments are adequately balanced, and connections to other works, as well as references to both past and future, perfectly round out this middle grade novel. While I recommend reading Ireland's previous The High Republic works to have a better understanding of the characters, enough information is provided to make the plot easy to follow. For a novel aimed at young readers, Mission to Disaster once again turns into a surprisingly mature read thanks to the themes and conflicts it addresses. It also provides important clues for The Fallen Star and should be read before the adult novel, if possible. Thus, in conclusion, I can only deem Mission to Disaster an absolute must-read for all ages!

[katie :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imri is my SON

[Kels · Rating 4 out of 5]

remember when audible accidentally released an audiobook two months early? yeah me too😂
but i swear if anything happens to vern after this…..it’s on sight lucasfilm

[manu · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25★
"The closest we ever come to being truly one with the Force is when we're working to help make the galaxy a better place for everyone."

Mission to Disaster is definitely my favorite junior novel from Phase I: the plot is dynamic, the setting is amazing, and even the new characters feel alive.

I think the choice to focus more on Avon here worked extremely well! She's witty and resourceful, but with her share of miscalculations to round up the character. Not showing up on other works like Vernestra and Imri, we had much more space to explore and see her development.

Other detail I loved was how this book clearly lays ground to expanding the era. We hear about a mysterious past, a conflit not talked about, motivations we don't understand, all of it possibilities to be explored on future works (hi, Phase II).

I'm much more comfortable with Vernestra's portrayal here. I think her character works best in the junior format as opposed to YA (or maybe Justina Ireland does, hard to tell), and the same can be said to Imri. The return of other characters as well as the new ones also felt very natural and I want to know more about them!

My only nitpick with Mission to Disaster is the climax. I think the way it was paced didn't manage to hit the high as well as it could've, especially considering we know exactly how things will end on the adult side of things.
But this is simply me looking for more drama.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked Justina Ireland’s first High Republic junior novel, A Test of Courage, but this one wasn’t quite as good to me. I felt like she was really constrained in what plot she could include and where the book had to end, so the resultant book was a bit more lackluster.

Somewhere in Disney Star Wars HQ, there must be an enormous wall-sized board with all of the links between these different HR phase 1 books and the timeline of how they relate to each other and which characters pop up in which ones, but to the average person, the complexity of these interactions is completely, totally inscrutable. It’s impossible to remember everything, because the plot isn’t complete in each set of adult/YA/junior novels, but instead there will be some part of the plot that is present only in *one* level of the books and not repeated in the others. For example, this is the only book that talks about Avar Kriss leaving to look for Lourna Dee; but that plot line isn’t resolved in the junior novels, and instead the adult book The Fallen Star is the only book that talks about her returning afterwards. As far as I know, none of the novels talk about what she did while gone; maybe the comics do? There’s also a bit of mystery in this book about who attacks a character, but that isn’t resolved in this story; you have to read The Fallen Star adult novel to know, and how many junior novel readers will do that??

Also, like with The Fallen Star, none of these phase 1 books feel like they’re ending with any sense of completion, even though this time period is being left behind for phase 2 and we have no idea when they’ll come back to these story lines. I really wish they had tried to give the books better endings, more feeling of resolution, to end the phase.

I really didn’t feel like those were problems with Ireland’s writing but with the way the whole High Republic concept was planned.

I still like Vernestra and Imri, and how they both have to work through feelings of helplessness or anxiety. The book also wrestles a bit with the feelings a Jedi has when they want to rescue a friend but also have a wider responsibility to other people they have less connection with. There was also a pretty decent minor villain in this book, a Nihil scientist with absolutely no morals, which helps Avon realize how much she likes using science to *help* others compared to this woman who mainly uses it for harm. I would have liked the confrontation with her to be longer, actually, especially since this is the last junior novel of this phase, so it doesn’t seem to make sense to save the character for another book.

Also, one other thought on the first HR phase as a whole, as it’s coming to a close soon: I think I was expecting a few more triumphs in these stories, or displays of Jedi wisdom and strength, but instead it has felt the whole time like the Jedi are a step behind. They are always trying to cleanup after another Nihil disaster (the Great Disaster, the Republic Fair, attacks on a bunch of other worlds, including this one) and in each case rescue who they can, but seem utterly unable to really see the truth about what’s going on or to get any kind of intel to help prevent it. They somehow still think the Nihil are mostly defeated and somehow got the idea that Lourna Dee was the leader, which is just kind of baffling. I think I would have loved if, just once, they actually managed to prevent the disaster in the nick of time.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Justina Ireland has been one of the most steady and consistent authors in the entire High Republic publishing initiative. Mission to Disaster is yet another solid story that is entertaining and also introduces new potential storylines to round out the first phase. Taking place before the events of The Fallen Star by Claudia Gray, this book is a more centralized story focusing on a smaller cast of characters. Ireland brings Avon Starros, Vernestra Rwoh, and Imri Cantaros back to the forefront, and it was nice to see what they were doing during Gray’s novel. Vernestra continues to be my favorite and most intriguing Jedi of this era to me, and Ireland writes her to perfection. While the impact of this story on the overall era won’t be very large, I would still consider this story to be essential and is well worth reading for the interesting characters and fun plot.

[havilliardgirlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok the cliffhanger though 👀

[Jonathan Koan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The books produced by Disney-Lucasfilm press have had a suprisingly mixed reaction from both me and from the fandom. The Young Adult books have ranged from excellent to terrible, the worst books being the entries in the High Republic, while the Middle Grade books have been consistently "ok" or possibly "good". That all changes with this book, which finally broke the Middle Grade mold and became the first amazing Middle Grade book in the High Republic series.

What I loved about this book is the positive changes that Justina Ireland made in her writing. In my review of her previous Middle Grade book, "A Test of Courage", I stated that Ireland had two major issues: Her books lack in plot and they don't do a good job with the male characters. While this book doesn't do everything perfectly, it makes significant strides into fixing both of those issues.

This book centers around a plot where Avon Starros is captured by Nihil raiders and Vernestra Rwoh and Imri Cantaros are tasked with rescuing her. This is essentially what I anticipated the plot of "Out of the Shadows" to be, but that book ended up being very different, and ultimately a boring and frustrating book. So I was hopeful the story of Vernestra and Imri and Avon would get back on track in this book. Thankfully, it did.

What Ireland does differently in this book compared with "A Test of Courage" is the pacing. This book moves very quickly, and the characters are, like the audience, quickly retrieving and analyzing information. This book kind of works as a mystery of where Avon Starros is, and Ireland cleverly leaves details for the audience to try to figure out. I was very pleasantly surprised when the reveal occured, as I felt this was some Timothy Zahn style mystery, albeit on a much smaller scale.

Justina Ireland did a very good job with Imri in this book. Before this, he was constantly complaining, whining, making foolish decisions, and not being as clever as he could have been. All of the spotlight was put on Vernestra, and he looked weak because of it. In this book, Imri actually makes some really important decisions that have significant consequences in the book. Imri is actually credited often with having a "good idea", something lacking in the previous books. He also just has this sense of urgency of doing the right thing that makes him relatable to the readers.

Avon Starros' storyline is also fasciating, as it reminds me of the R2-D2 stories from Seasons 1 and 4 of the Clone Wars. Her brilliant deductions and ability to use her surroundings to manufacture an escape was excellently written and made me connect with her as a character.

The Villains in this book were still a weaker spot, but they were better written than the other two middle grade books.

This book has the tone and feel that the Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta Young Jedi Knights books in the 90s had, and that's high praise from me. This is the closest I think that the canon has gotten to having that adventurous and well written action that those books reached.

This book also proves that the Middle Grade novels should have been written as a line of books where they all followed Vernestra and Imri. This would have built up a better fanbase for the characters and would have made the timeline and continuity questions a lot easier to answer.

Justina Ireland does throw in a few things into the book that made me roll my eyes and that made me frustrated, but unlike "Out of the Shadows", those things didn't linger and make up the whole tone of the book.

This book is a bit longer than it's predecessors, clocking in at 262 pages. I appreciate the decision made by the team at Disney-Lucasfilm Press to make this book longer, as it fleshed out the characters more and allowed for a complete story to be told.

Overall, I really loved this story. This is the type of Middle-Grade book I've been waiting to read. It certainly isn't perfect, but it was a fun and well written read indeed. 9 out of 10! Great job Justina Ireland!

[Khurram · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ok story. It is good catch up story, but I found it a little light on the action. I did like how having an apprentice/Padawan has changed Vernestra.

Just when the Jedi and the Republic think that they have the Nihil on the run they are up to their evil ways. Avon Starros, has always believed in science and her way of thinking but she must face the dark side of the science and a dark secret.

The good side story to what is going on in the High Republic. I a glad it spotlights the growth of the Vernestra, Imri and Avon. I would like to see more of them in the main storyline. I do find it strange that the Nihil, always seem to be two steps ahead of the Jedi. Every victory of the Jedi seems temporary.

[myo ⋆｡˚ ❀ * · Rating 4 out of 5]

they should’ve just had justina write the books for middle grade phase one cus these were so good.

[Alec Costa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gostei muito do livro como um todo, principalmente por poder ver a evolução absurda dos personagens (principalmente Imri e Vernestra), ao longo desses três livros infantis. Outra coisa mt maneira, foi poder ver Dalna, uma vez que a gente sabe a importância q esse planeta tem pra toda a história desse arco. Eu sinto que tem MUITO foreshadowing escondido nesse livro, especificamente, e marquei tudo, pra poder ficar d olho!!!

A Justina Ireland é uma autora de mão cheia, d vdd!!! Fiquei mt surpreso com o tanto q eu gostei desses dois livros dela, d vdd. Fiquei com muita vontade d pegar um original dela pra ler

Mais pro meio o livro tem uma barriga enooorme e, honestamente, fico me perguntando como q uma criança lê isso sem se sentir entediada 🤪 Mesmo assim, no geral, a história é bem maneira

O HYPE eͪ REAL PRA TERCEIRA FASE!!!!!!!

[Brett Wyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first High Republic story that gets 5 stars from me. The large cast of characters introduced in this era failed to resonate with me for the most part. Ireland's characters stand out to me as they actually have qualities that distinguish them from the Generic Jedi we've been getting in every high republic story. I also find them to be relatable.

CHARACTERS
Vernestra is a teenage prodigy within the Jedi Order and she has many insecurities and anxieties about training a Padawan and not having to rely on her master anymore. Her being a prodigy may be a little silly to some people but by no means are they equating her to the Chosen One. All it means is that she passed the trials at a young age. It doesn't mean that she is the most powerful force user in the galaxy, nor does anyone claim she is. She's such a sweetheart and she's so humble.

Her Padawan, Imri, is another great character. He's still attending Force Skills 101, but he's got a natural unique gift in being able to sense the emotions of others which can be overwhelming, invasive, and useful at times. He's still trying to figure out how to manage his gift. We also see him gain confidence compared to A Test of Courage and it's nice to see that development.

Avon is the daughter of a senator, but she shows a lot more interest in science than politics. However, she seems to be able to talk herself out of certain dangerous situations... maybe she'd be a good politician if she switched fields. She may not rely on the force, but she can effectively gather information and figure out a way to use it against people or to better serve her self-interests. Her intellect and her intuition are her powers.

PLOT
This story follows the same characters from A Test of Courage by the same author, and I'm glad to see that they matured somewhat. Avon gets captured by the Nihil and through her, we get to learn about Path engine lore and better understand how the Nihil manage their sub-divisions. Vernestra and Imri work together to save their friend. Imri finally stepped up to the plate in this book, and he even has a lightbulb moment. At no point did I feel like he is still in Vernestra's shadow. Without spoiling anything, the stakes in the book are rather high which is a surprise to be sure for a middle grade novel, but a welcome one. The solution to the problem was a little redneck, but it got the job done. I also have to give Ireland a shoutout for her use of science jargon as I feel like she handled it very well.

RANTS
At this point, Justina Ireland and DJ Older have been splitting the workload with various entries in middle grade, YA, comics, and manga. I must say, I think Ireland should have had full control for the middle grade line of books and have all the middle grade books follow Vernestra and friends.

The High Republic is getting rather repetitive with all the stories surrounding the same two villains: the Nihil and the Drengir. They should take a page out of the MCU Infinity Saga’s book as they have variety, and don’t repeat villains, yet everything feels connected. I’m glad a new High Republic phase is on the way as these stories in general are getting old and predictable.

CONCLUSION
I liked the characters. I liked the plot. I liked the world building. 5 stars

[☆lindsay☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I swear if anything happens to Vern and Imri I will throw hands

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

ספר נחמד... אני חושבת שהוא כן תוספת נחמדה וסיכום טוב לפייז הראשון של הhigh republic והוא היה יחסית חמוד ומעניין.
הספר הזה לא באמת חידש לי שום דבר וכן מצאתי את עצמי שואלת כמה פעמים במהלך הקריאה למה הוא קיים (תשובה: דיסני רוצים כסף) אבל לפחות הוא כן היה *הרבה* יותר טוב מהmiddle-grade novel הקודם שיצא.

דבר אחד שממש מעצבן אותי בספרים מהסדרה הזאת זה שכל פאקינג ספר נגמר בסוף פתוח, אין שום תחושת סיום או השלמה, ועד עכשיו הפייז הראשון יצאו תשעה ספרים (שאת כולם קראתי) ולאף אחד מהם לא היה סוף מוחלט.
עוד דבר, שמתי לב שלכל הספרים האלה יש תבנית מסויימת שאחריה דיסני עוקבים: מציגים איזו דמות חדשה עם סיפור משלה, בו זמנית אחת מחבורות הג׳דיי נשלחות למשימה הכוללת את הניהיליסטים, דרכם נפגשת וביחד הם מנסים לעצור את הרעים.
ובכל פאקינג ספר הם באים צעד אחד מאוחר יותר, והם תמיד צריכים לנקות את ההרס שהניהיל השאירו.
חשבתי שכל הפואנטה של הטיים ליין הזה זה שהג׳דיי הם בgolden age והרמת החוכמה הכי גדולה שלהם- ועד עכשיו לא קראתי אפילו ספר אחד שמראה לי את זה. כן במהלך הספרים ניתן לראות שהג׳דיי לא עד כדי כך נוקשים וקיצוניים כמו שהם בprequels וזה כן דבר אחד שממש עניין אוצי לראות אבל מעבר לזה לא הרגשתי הרבה שוני.
וגם למה תמיד הניהיל מצליחים עם התרמיות והשקרים שלהם נגד הג׳דיי? כאילו, תמיד! זה משגע אוצי כי הג׳דיי אמורים להיות סוג אנשים ממש חכם או משו כזה אז כאילו לאן החוכמה הזאת נעלמת? ממש הייתי ריצה לקרוא ספר אחד שבו הג׳דיי כן מצליחים להערים על הניהיל
קיצור הפייז השני של הספרים מתחיל רק בסתיו ואני מקווה שעד אז דיסני יעבדו טיפה על הדברים האלו...

[Neil R. Coulter · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has a little bit of necessary connection to the larger story of Phase 1, but it also has a "one-off" kind of feel, too. The characters in this book didn't grab me, but I'm not the target age for it (though, as usual with the High Republic, since I am expected to know all the books to know the full story, I think it's reasonable to expect that I'll find something to like in all the books).

I often enjoy the audiobook versions of Star Wars books more than I enjoy reading them from the page, but Mission to Disaster is an exception. The narrator uses the Pennsylvania intonation for questions, which grated on me. And her reading of Imri makes it sound like he regards every. word. as. its. own. sentence.

Not the book for me, but . . . almost done with Phase 1!

[emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up to 5. Justina Ireland has done it again. I absolutely loved A Test of Courage, so returning to the characters in Mission to Disaster was a lot of fun. Avon truly shines in this book. She's incredibly clever and not afraid to take risks. The High Republic has been great in terms of showcasing young girls who are at the center of their own adventures. I would have loved a story like this in the Star Wars universe when I was a kid. This triad of middle-grade books for The High Republic has introduced amazing characters and immersive storytelling. I'm excited for Phase 2 in the fall!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mission to Disaster was a really enjoyable read that brought back together quite a few characters I've loved from earlier High Republic releases. I was a bit disappointed that the plot minimally contributed to the overall action in Phase 3 but the story was still fun. Vernestra and Imri are two of my favorite High Republic characters -- they're both so lovable and trying so hard to be good Jedi.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Vernestra Rwoh stan account

[Tyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
justina ireland you’ve done it once again

[Faye 🫀 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly…. Didn’t really care about this at all and this had some of my favourite characters in it???

[ShadowsOfWonder · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75*

"Mission to Disaster" is the final junior novel in the first phase of The High Republic. It's once again written by Justina Ireland and about the characters we met in "A Test of Courage".

To me, Mission to Disaster is definitely Justina's best work in the High Republic yet. "A Test of Courage" had some minor pacing issues and "Out of the Shadows" just wasn't for me.

It's also the best junor novel in my opinion.
It's a fast paced, fun adventure that's not the cliché "escape the unknown planet" from "A Test of Courage" or highly dependent on another work like "Race to Crashpoint Tower" was.

I always enjoy reading about Vernestra & Imri and this book was no exception. The concept of Vern's new ability wasn't developed much, but I also don't think it fit in the story.
Imri had more storyline and povs as in "Out of the Shadows", which made me very happy, as I always enjoy his pov and was missing it in "Out of the Shadows"

Avon was a good character in "A Test of Courage", but not a great one. But she really matured in the time between the two books. Maybe it was also partly because she had her own storyline, but I enjoyed reading about her more than I thought I would.

Meeting Honesty again was a pleasant but unexpected surprise. He also matured and was much more enjoyable than in "A Test of Courage".

Overall, I really liked this book. It doesn't deal with topics as mature as in "A Test of Courage" but was well-written, fast-paced and fun to read.

But one question left unanswered is really bothering me: What happened to the Dalnan population?
If you have read the book, you probably know what I'm referring to. Maybe it was mentioned in another work and I just missed that detail, but I'm really concerend for these poor people.

[Alacritous13 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful sequel to A Test of Courage, and manages to surpassed the first book by miniscule accounts in every criteria.

Having read The Fallen Star first (an oversight on Disney's release schedule), much of the tension of the book was lacking. A feeling I'm familiar with in regards to the Junior novels.

All in all. Descriptive writing, relatable characters, and Avon served wonderfully to add emotional weight to the story. If you're reading this random review of the book, you've probably already have your mind made up, but you should definitely read this book.

Edit: Upon reading this a third time, it stands up. Read it!!

[Tyler Sampson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easily the best of the young reader novels. Again, Vernestra Rwoh stars in this book about trying to save Avon Starros, her friend from “A Test of Courage” who has been kidnapped by the Nihil, and forced to help build a weapon that can destroy a planet

[Poppy Parkes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This really did not feel like a children’s/middle grade book! It was very mature and excellently written. Justina Ireland writes ‘her’ characters of Vern and Avon absolutely impeccably.

[ShamNoop · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much better than I expected

[Anne Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story full of action and twists, with characters that I love so much. There are plenty of adventures and the story progresses concretely, with new intriguing elements.

[Franciszek Bąk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Przyjemnie się czytało, dobrze poprowadzona fabuła rozwijająca relacje między bohaterami, a także pokazująca kolejne wydarzenia z ery Wielkiej Republiki.
Jest to książka z kategorii "junior novel" i po raz kolejny nie mogę wyjść z podziwu że da się w lekki sposób opisywać porwania, wykorzystywanie pracy dzieci i kataklizmy na skale planetarną. Taki urok tej kategori haha
Natomiast, jak na Wydawnictwo Olesiejuk, to w książce jest zaskakująco dużo błędów typu: "mistrz Master", "będziemy tylko musieli tylko" czy brakujące wyrazy np. "się". To duży minus, który wybija czytelnika z nastroju.