A TEST OF COURAGE:
I was delighted to stumble across the NetGalley High Republic Sample. "A Test of Courage" was the first book featured. I wasn't totally blown away by it - probably because I'm not the target audience Ireland is writing to - but it nevertheless offered plenty to keep older fans reading. Vernestra seems a bit young for a full-blown Jedi Knight, but it's done believably enough and wasn't overwhelmingly annoying. I was especially delighted by Avon Starros' early appearance and...unique...presence. As an avid Star Wars comics reader, it was the icing on the cake to see Sana Starros' kin in a very different societal position than Sana finds herself in several hundred years later. I can only speak for the first three chapters, which were solid and made me eager to continue.

INTO THE DARK:
I had the privilege of getting to read the first few chapters of Into the Dark through NetGalley and it was excellent. Having Claudia Gray writing Star Wars YA again is one of the things I've been looking forward to about this first slate of High Republic books, and she doesn't disappoint. The story begins with a Jedi journey to Starlight Beacon, much as the other High Republic books have.
The characters are excellent. The protagonist Reath Silas is a padawan who's less gifted in the Force than most other Jedi, and who'd rather stay on Coruscant in the temple libraries than journey to wild space. The rest of the Jedi manage to all be unique, and adding in the chaotic pilots' crew is the icing on the cake.
I was delightfully surprised by the many nuggets of information are dropped in just the first few pages. It's made clear that this isn't the exact same Star Wars galaxy we know and love, but a nuanced past filled with events that shaped the stories of the movies.
I don't want to spoil too much. I'm giving this one a cautious 5* for now - subject to change when I actually read the full book. Based on the first three chapters, I'd definitely recommend especially to fans of Star Wars YA.

As a lifelong Star Wars fan, I'm very excited to see where the next phase of Star Wars leads. The sampler chapters in these two books was a great preview into what we might get in 2021. I loved meeting the new Jedis, and I'm excited to see how this might tie into the rest of the universe. Also, based on these chapters, Claudia Gray has written a phenomenal book, as always. I can't wait to read the rest!

I want to thank Net Galley and Lucas Film Press for giving us access to the first few chapters in two of the most exciting Star Wars books in years. I have been a Star Wars fan for most of my life and when Legends ended I felt like I had lost a dear friend but with the High Republic I feel like that friend has come back. ATOC and Into The Dark introduces us to a variety of new Jedi and interesting new locations. The books are both well written and have merely wetted my appetite for the full High Republic release in 2021. I am counting the days.

Without spoiling anything, this chapter sampler blew me away. Both authors have captured the Star Wars universe perfectly, and made me hungry for more of the era. Story, characters and setting all seem to be going in the direction that Star Wars needs right now.

I’m really looking forward to seeing where the story goes next, and reviewing the novels in their entirety.

I have been extremely excited about all of the upcoming High Republic books since the announcement in February. As more and more information, art, and excerpts have been released I have followed along with great interest. This preview has the first few chapters of "A Test of Courage" by Justina Ireland and "Into the Dark" by Claudia Gray. Already the writing in both has grabbed me. The characters in "A Test of Courage" are already interesting and play off of each other well. Vern the fresh young padawan eager but hesitant, and Avon with her boundless curiosity, intelligence, and mischievousness. "Into the Dark" introduces padawan Reath Silas who would rather be researching Jedi lore in an archive than on a mission which is a wonderful fresh new take on the more common over-eager and ready to prove themselves padawans we have met before. I can't wait to read both of these books and see where these characters go and learn more about their place and this rich new time in Star Wars lore!

The High Republic is set to launch an entirely new era of Star Wars. Set centuries before The Phantom Menace, the first round of these books will change the way we see the Jedi, the Republic, and the galaxy far, far away as a whole.

As if we weren't already hyped enough, the first several chapters of two of the books in this publishing initiative, by Justina Ireland and Claudia Gray, released a little early.

It's a good thing, too -- because it's clear these books, and the many more set to follow, are going to change Star Wars forever. For the better.

For years, fans have been begging for Star Wars to do something entirely unexpected and new. That's what you get in these sample chapters. It looks like Star Wars. It sounds and feels like Star Wars. But these new characters, living in a time we've never had access to before, add a layer of novelty to the text we've all been craving.

As usual, Ireland and Gray waste no time coaxing us into falling in love with every character we meet. So much so that we root for and fear for them all, especially as they're thrust into danger.

If these first few chapters of each book are any indication, this is going to be some of the best storytelling we've seen in book form in this universe in a long time. And it can only get better from here.

With the High Republic being a new initiative from the Publishing side of Star Wars, I didn't know exactly what to expect. But there is no reason to have trepidations about this new project, the sample chapters for both books were excellent. What immediately strikes me in reading these selections back to back is the cohesion of vision and understanding of the space and time we are in. This was part of what was advertised when the project was announced, and it already is paying off, just in these few chapters.

In A Test of Courage, I am most looking forward to the political elements in Vernestra's mission and how that weaves into the mystical Jedi storyline.
In Into the Dark, I already absolutely love Reath, who is a bookworm and a historian and a lover of the library. I am very much looking forward to seeing how his personal interests clash with his mission and how he uses his nontraditional strengths as he goes on his mission.

These sample chapters have shown me that every book within this initiative is going to be essential, and something that I'm going to want to have on my shelves as soon as they come out!

I read the chapter sampler for A Test of Courage and Into the Dark, and both were fantastic.

Although the chapter sampler mostly consisted of character introductions, Into the Dark quickly got into some interesting moments, and thus was slightly more enjoyable in my opinion.

I'm excited to continue reading both of these, along with the other upcoming Star Wars novels.

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Lucasfilm Press for allowing me to read these chapter samplers in exchange for an honest review.

My first impression on both three chapter samplers are that they do feel very much like Star Wars, but also very fresh. That's been my problem with other Star Wars books in the Skywalker Saga thus far, they do keep fairly close to the story without offering a lot more new information, which is understandable because they do want people to prioritize the movies over the books. I feel like both of these stories which seem to center on the Starlight Beacon make me excited to read about the Star Wars universe again.

A Test of Courage feels like the other middle grade stories that I've read, but felt a little more mature for the age range. It was still fairly simple but it wasn't holding your hand as much as other middle grade stories would.

I am very interested in "Into the Dark" by Claudia Gray, it gave me major Firefly vibes, the group of Jedi Knights going to the "frontier" on a transport ship mixing with a young quirky cast that doesn't know much about the ways of the Jedi. I can't wait to see what comes of the story.

As an avid fan of Star Wars, I was so excited to see these sample chapters pop up on Netgalley, and they did not disappoint! I'm looking forward to Claudia Gray's Into the Dark, but Justina Ireland's A Test of Courage looks promising, too. The writing was exceptional, the characters are fleshed out (as much as they can be for a three-chapter sample of each book) and the stories seem very compelling. I cannot wait until January and Febuary when these books are published in their entirety!

An excerpt from the book by Justina Ireland seemed very childish and so far the book has not aroused much interest. But I look forward to Claudia Gray's book with great interest, the except turned out to be exciting and funny. It seems Geode will become one of my favorite Star Wars characters!

These were some excellent sample chapters! I am very excited for where these High Republic stories are going. I love seeing the Jedi at their best and the variety of Jedi depicted is pretty cool as well. The diverseness of the order and the background to the characters is just excellent. My only complaint was that the sample from the first book was way too short, it was hard to see where that one was going, although the characters introduced seem interesting. The second sample by Claudia Gray was very good and bummed me out when it ended!!! I am so looking forward to these and all the other High Republic titles. Would love to read more and will definitely be recommending to my customers!!

A Test of Courage works to draw the reader with its emphasis on characters and active voice. Into the Dark boasts an interesting premise and intriguing Star Wars lore, though the prose could feel clunky at times and perhaps could have benefited from more a more showing vs. telling approach. Both talented authors, however, and looking forward to reading the full novels!

I loved the new glimpses into the Star Wars universe! The protagonists in each story were relatable and well written. I'm very excited to read the full books and write up a full review on both of the novels!

The High Republic Era adventures are something I’ve been looking forward to since the “Project Luminous” reveal back in February and these samples definitely fueled my excitement. Both samples were intriguing in their own way and I thoroughly enjoyed them; however, I wish the samples were a little longer because I didn’t want to stop reading! From what I can tell so far, the vibes in this era are certainly different from what we’re used to, and I can’t wait to explore what this time in the galaxy’s history has to offer.

I very much enjoyed the samples of both books. I liked the characters from the start and I am looking forward to learn more about them and get to know more about the High Republic Era as well. I cannot wait to read the books in their entirety!

Just a review pack. It was fun and I think I might give both a chance if I saw them on a shelf sooner than later TBH.

Problems in Hyperspace cause issues for all the characters in these two Star Wars High Council novels. After only a couple chapters each, I'm already so interested to find out more about each of these characters and the mystery behind whats going on with Hyperspace. Also, all these problems to get to the Starlight Beacon, why? Is it really going to be 'the ray of hope' for the outer rim? Can't wait to find out when these books are released early 2021.

I really enjoyed these chapter samples and I look forward to reading the finished books! I am definitely looking forward to diving in to the High Republic era of the Star Wars universe and learning more about all of this characters.

The High Republic is an ambitious, collaborative, and exciting project set in a galaxy far, far away and in an era a little farther away from the films we know and love.

With Justina Ireland’s A Test of Courage, it’s interesting to get the perspective of a character who has only recently passed the trials of Jedi Knighthood. Vernestra’s rocky relationship with Avon Starros is entertaining and intriguing. Starros is an especially fun character considering her connection to Han Solo’s and Doctor Aphra’s frenemy/lover from the Marvel comics. At times, the story seemed a little juvenile, a problem I don’t often run into when reading Star Wars books—even middle grade/young readers—but I am hopeful that the story develops and deepens beyond the introductory chapters.

With Into the Dark, Claudia Gray writes the story of bookworm/historian Reath Silas who is dragged into an adventure he would rather not take. Gray has cemented her place among the greatest Star Wars writers with masterpieces such as Lost Stars and Master and Apprentice. After making her home run debut with original characters Ciena Ree and Thane Kyrell, star-crossed lovers on opposite sides of the Galactic Civil War, Gray proceeded to write legacy characters for numerous consecutive books—Leia Organa, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. One of Gray’s strengths, however, is her creation of original characters. Drafting her to write a story with all-new characters in an all-new era is rife with possibilities.

A couple of moments in the opening salvo to Into the Dark left me scratching my head, however. There are references to a “singing sensation” Jedi and underage drinking Padawan drinking both stood out as especially odd and abruptly halted the flow of the story for me.

Into the Dark’s strong suits, however, far outweigh my complaints. The incorporation of Padawan relationships similar to what Gray established between Qui-Gon Jinn and Rael Aveross in Master and Apprentice is especially well-done. It’s very interesting to think about all-star, “illustrious” Jedi Dez Rydan through the perspective of Reath Silas. Both shared the same master and have a kinship of sorts, capitalizing on a strong element of Gray’s previous work. Furthermore, the massive cast of diverse Jedi is jaw-dropping, each with their own unique qualities.

Overall, there are a few standout details in the sampler that make for a compelling spark to ignite the fire of intrigue that will leave you itching to get the books in their entirety—along with the other titles in Phase One of the publishing program. It was delightful to see Vernestra mentioned in Into the Dark, especially after having just recently been introduced to the fiery young Jedi in A Test of Courage. The authors’ collaboration is already shining through in the books’ opening chapters. Secondly, several lore elements introduced in the sampler fit into Star Wars wonderfully. The concept of a Wayseeker, a Jedi who operates outside of the authority of the Council, is mentioned in passing reference. I was eager to hear more about such Jedi! There’s clearly enormous potential in this era.