#stellan gios

Cavan Scott’s The Rising Storm kicks off phase two of the High Republic publishing initiative, continuing the stories of the characters first introduced in Light of the Jedi - as well as an assortment of new ones. I greatly enjoyed Charles Soule’s Light of the Jedi, but it was - by design - a set-up novel that introduced the reader to a new era in Star Wars history and the vast cast of characters that populated it. Therefore, I was most intrigued by what Light of the Jedi teased for the future - and with that in mind, I’m happy to report that all the groundwork laid by Charles Soule has paid off. The Rising Storm is even better than its predecessor, taking the most intriguing elements of Light of the Jedi and exploring them more deeply. 

One of the core strengths of The Rising Storm is that it feels more focused than Light of the Jedi did, even though it still has a grand scope and covers a range of perspectives. Three Jedi characters get the most page time: Bell Zettifar and Elzar Mann both carry over from Light of the Jedi, and Stellan Gios makes his first appearance as a main character. Picking up from the events of LOTJ (I’ll use this abbreviation hereafter), much of the action of The Rising Storm is centred around ‘The Republic Fair’ - a sci-fi ‘World Fair’ intended to demonstrate the strength and unity of the Republic, which inevitably attracts the nefarious attentions of the Nihil. 

I’m always more interested in character development over plot, and found The Rising Storm (TRS hereafter) struck a pleasing balance - the plot of TRS is clear and propulsive, but it serves mostly as a backdrop to the different characters’ personal struggles and journeys. Of the three main point of view characters, I was probably most fascinated by Elzar - he was introduced in LOTJ as a wild-card who follows his own rules, somewhat beyond the purview of the Jedi Council. However, he was consistently shown to stay on the right side of the thin line separating the light side from the dark - I don’t want to spoil exactly what happens, but it’s safe to say that Elzar stumbles here. My favourite characters tend to be grey, with complex motives that are difficult to label as purely good or bad, and so it’s no surprise that Elzar is the stand-out character of the series so far for me. His psychology is the richest of all the characters, and his passions and frustrations make him eminently relatable. 

Stellan only features very briefly in LOTJ, and on the basis of that book I was slightly concerned that he and Elzar would feel too similar - I’m happy to report that I couldn’t have been more wrong. Stellan lies on another borderline - this one, between the Jedi Council and the Republic. A model Jedi, he’s something of a poster boy for the Jedi Council with close ties to the Republic’s political elite. While Stellan is less … troubled than Elzar, he’s still written in such a way as to feel flawed and vulnerable. Of the three main characters, Bell probably draws the shortest straw - he’s shown struggling with the loss of his master, Loden Greatstorm (due to the events of LOTJ), but is mostly used for action scenes that feel at something of a remove from the main action. However, he has a truly powerful moment at the very end of the book - I couldn’t possibly spoil it, but you’ll recognise it when you get there. 

There’s plenty of great character work in TRS - the Nihil characters also get deepened, and I particularly loved how Lourna Dee was developed here (I’m now VERY excited for her audio drama later in the year). Marchion Ro’s characterisation has definite echoes of Kylo Ren’s (or should it be the other way around?), from daddy issues through to gratuitous mask wearing, but is distinctly his own person. My favourite new character was Ty Yorrick - a former Jedi Padawan, she parted with the Order under bad terms and occupies the moral quagmire I’m so fond of. Her burgeoning connection with Elzar is one of the most tantalising parts of TRS, and I can’t wait to see it explored more deeply in future books. 

Overall, this is an excellent Star Wars novel - exciting, well-characterised and genuinely consequential. It’s a must-read for anyone who enjoyed Light of the Jedi, and makes the High Republic era even more vital to understanding the history of the Jedi. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Penguin Random House/Del Rey UK for sending me an early review copy.