I’ve been dying to read these books for months. This sampler was a nice gift. I really want to keep reading these next year or hopefully I’ll get review copies. What I’ve read of Into the dark and a test of courage has really impressed. The gold and white graphic design is gorgeous. The new timeline at the front was cool. The bad batch is on there! I’m going to be consuming all of the high republic ravenously. I don’t care about age range. I’m a big fan of Claudia Grey and I like Justina Ireland too. I’m Irish.

If these opening chapters are anything to go by, we are in for QUITE A TREAT from the highly anticipated Star Wars The High Republic publishing initiative.

Justina Ireland's Middle Grades novel A Test of Courage is already shaping up to be so much fun. We see bright young characters taking their first strides into a larger world full of confidence and a willingness to prove they belong. We also see hints of the inevitable tragedy that will soon befall the entire galaxy. Already making her mark in Star Wars with the junior novels Lando's Luck and Spark of the Resistance, A Test of Courage is shaping up to be a delightful addition to Ireland's already incredible body of work in that galaxy far far away. I am so excited about this one.

Claudia Gray's Young Adult novel Into the Dark only raised my levels of excitement. The opening three chapters already lay so much groundwork and build this "new" world out in a way that I wasn't quite expecting. I was sitting on the edge of my seat, consuming every word. Brand new characters are flawlessly introduced, complete with personalities and emotional baggage that is believable and wholly welcome. Also, I laughed a lot more than I thought I would when reading this. Geode, a new addition, might even be my new favorite Star Wars character.

If this sampler does anything, it proves how interconnected this new initiative is. If you haven't been reading EVERYTHING, The High Republic releases would be a great time to start.

This sampler gives a taste of Justina Ireland and Claudia Gray's upcoming High Republic novels, and oooh boy are they juicy. January can't come soon enough!

So the Justina Ireland sampler was exciting!
It reminds me of a mix between Lost Stars (with younger protagonists) and Outbound Flight.
It will be interesting to see how these two characters develop.
Overall it definitely has a Star Wars feel, which is great given it’s a whole new era.

Claudia Gray’s Sampler is a joyful punch straight to the heart of each character without having long drawn out build ups. There are little nods here and there to other characters, including Legends, and character traits you see elsewhere in the Galaxy (& beyond) for example Cohmac teaching Reath to study a new species art to learn about them, and Spice sticks (death sticks?) being legal.
Keen to learn more about Wayseekers, this sampler feels like I’m teetering on the edge of an epic Star Wars adventure and I cannot wait!!

These look like great reads for fans of the Star Wars series. This is a unique take that extends the world and I think kids of all ages will enjoy reading these books. Many thanks to Disney Publishing Worldwide and NetGalley for the opportunity to sample these titles.

These samplers for A Test of Courage and Into the Dark were an interesting taste for what's to come in the High Republic. I look forward to reading the full versions of each book!