I have absolutely loved the High Republic publishing initiative and the stories the writers have crafted in this new space. Mission to Disaster is one of the better stories Justina Ireland has brought to the series but still struggles to be an enjoyable ride. The characters Ireland writes are enjoyable and have so much depth but the entire story is plagued with tedium. Rarely does the story feel like it has any momentum at all as the amazing characters just feel wasted as lifeless set pieces in a drab story. The book is passable for a young reader but I greatly preferred Older's "Race to Crashpoint Tower" over Ireland's Mission to Disaster. Finally my biggest complaint has to be the ending where the author used the most heavy handed explanations to hint at a certain character's duplicity.

"Mission to Disaster" is the third book in the final wave of Phase 1 of the High Republic and by far has been my favorite's of Justina Ireland's book work so far. I was initially very hesitant to pick this up as I did not finish "A Test of Courage" when it released, but after reading this, I may want to revisit my earlier sentiments.

Set in the timeline prior to the events of "Fallen Star," we follow Vernestra Rwoh and her padawan Imri Cantaros as they both struggle with their respective duties and teachings as master and padawan, but are quickly interrupted by a mission of the utmost importance: retrieve Senator Starros' daughter, Avon from the clutches of the deadly Nihil.

An easy read, yet Ms. Ireland effortlessly weaves themes of courage, duty, and being open to learning and growing whether you are teacher or student into this story. Avon continues to delight as a character and I love her spunk and tenacity when in the face of danger. Imri continues to be one of the most compassionate Jedi of this era and we as readers are only beginning to catch a glimpse of the great Jedi he may one day become. To me, Vernestra has had the greatest character growths of the High Republic. I initially didn't jive with her as a character, but quickly realized it was because there was too much of my own personal things in her. Seeing her grow and change and continue to evolve into her own person as opposed to what the Jedi have expected her to be has been nothing short of a delight and I'm looking forward to seeing more of her character as we begin to move into the wake of the Starlight Beacon tragedy and how she is going to handle certain revelations.

All in all, a solid conclusion to where we may be leaving our heroes until after Phase 2 and I'm looking forward to revisiting Ms. Ireland's other High Republic works with new and refreshed eyes.

*special thanks to Lucasfilm, Del Rey, and Disney for an advanced copy for review purposes*

Although a more condensed story when compared with recent The High Republic titles, author Justina Ireland was able to keep tensions high while making it entertaining enough (especially for its target younger readers audience), that most fans will enjoy the read.

Vernestra Rowh is one of my favorite High Republic characters so it is always a treat getting to follow her story. Justina does a great job filling in bits and pieces of where Vern's mindset is after the events of Out of the Shadows but doesn't dwell on them too much just in case the readers haven't experienced that book yet.

This is basically a sequel to A Test of Courage (AOTC) and that's okay. Apart from Vernestra, the other main characters, Imri, Avon and Honesty are all introduced in ATOC. From that perspective, Mission to Disaster is a hit as it closely follows these group of friends as Avon is in need of rescue after being abducted by the Nihil.
I thoroughly enjoy reading Avon and how her scientific mind processes every action and decision she makes.

Of the three new Jedi that are introduced, I hope we get to see more of Lyssa Votz, the Jedi archivist as I hope she and Reath Silas get to meet. And it would be a loss if we don't get at least one cook-off between Yacek Sparkburn and Torban Buck..

Jedi Padawan Imri is coming into his own and finally trusting himself and his gift in the Force. I am very excited and interested to see how his journey continues.

If you enjoy lighthearted and easy reads then you'll enjoy Mission to Disaster but don't expect big connections to the other Phase 3 titles.

The High Republic: Mission to Disaster offers a delightful sequel to Ireland’s The High Republic: A Test of Courage. I thoroughly enjoyed A Test of Courage and had eagerly been awaiting the next time we would get to spend time with these characters. One of the most interesting parts of Star Wars The High Republic has been its dedication to exploring what it means to be a Jedi and viewing this through the eyes of the younger characters, whether that is padawan Imri Cantaros or his teenage Jedi master Vernestra Rwoh has been one of the most refreshing aspects of this new era.

Ireland does not shy away from the idea that children can digest and understand deep and mature themes, for both the characters and the audience. We are able to see these characters grow up and change in real time which feels a lot like what normally occurs off screen in a typical Star Wars project.

There has been a time jump from the last time we were with Vernestra, Imri and Avon in Ireland’s predecessor novels but it’s clear that these characters still care deeply for each other. Healthy, platonic and trustworthy friendships is something that is so important to be represented especially in adolescents. .

This novel is fabulously suspenseful as the characters piece together what the corrupt and rogue Nihil antagonists are up to in the aftermath of the devastation at the Republic Fair on Valo. The novel is told mainly from two perspectives, that of the young Jedi and that of Avon Starros whom finds herself in the midst of trouble once again. Ireland is able to display both the intelligence and innovation of the characters as well as their inexperience and tendency to be naive. All of the main characters show miles of growth throughout the adventure and none of the side characters feel unnecessary or out of place.

The Nihil are formidable and menacing enemies as always, however I would have liked to see a little more nuance to the motivations of some of the main antagonists, including Dr. Mkampa. Despite this I am certain that our time with these enemies are far from over and I will be patiently waiting for the next installment how ever we may see these characters again.

Don’t let the target audience of the book deter you from picking it up! I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and these have been some of my absolute favorite stories to read and connect with in all of the High Republic media thus far.

A fantastic book that emphasizes the joy, struggles, and unity within Star Wars. Justina Ireland's pacing is impeccable, and her handle on her young characters is so endearing. They charm you throughout the story as they learn key lessons of togetherness, responsibility, and more. The book maintains a certain light to it even in the heaviest, most climactic moments. It's exactly what you'd want for a standalone story, and also for a continuation of the previous works in the initiative. I can't recommend the High Republic all-ages books enough. They're essential reading for any Star Wars family.

The middle grade novels for the high republic are turning out to be so much fun! This one is a quick adventure following my favorite Jedi so far, Vernestra and her empath padawan, Imri.

This book is great for the younger kids who want to read more Star Wars, but also for us young kids at heart.

Mission to Disaster is Justina Ireland's newest High Republic book following titular Jedi Vernestra Rwoh and Imri Cantaros on an adventure taking place shortly before The Fallen Star. Similar to Ireland's first HR novel, A Test of Courage, this novel is labelled as being "middle-grade"; however, I've found both books to be equal to young adult novels in terms of story, themes, and overall quality. And for Mission to Disaster, I can assuredly say that this book is quite good. The main plot is easily to follow, and Ireland takes care in making both Jedi and non-Jedi portions of the book interesting to read. In fact, a large part of the book deals with a character's uneasy relationship with a Nihil scientist, which I found to be the most intriguing and enjoyable component of the novel. Additionally, Ireland's writing style makes the book a constant blast to read from beginning to end. It's also nice to see recurring characters such as Vernestra and Imri again, as they are some of my favorite Jedi in the High Republic era so far. Lastly, I noticed that the plot actually follows a storyline set up at the end of A Test of Courage, which I really didn't expect to be relevant but was pleasantly surprised by.

This was my first read of this kind in the series and I absolutely loved it! Great story and illustrations.

The middle grade books for The High Republic have so far been a fun and lightheaded way to dive into the all-new era of Star Wars storytelling—with solid character development and great tie-ins to the other novels and comics from different age groups. Starting with A Test of Courage, Justina Ireland introduced the young readers to inspiring, new characters such as the brave Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh and her padawan Imri Cantaros, along with tech savvy Avon Starros and her protocol droid J-6—all returning to the author’s last book for Phase I, Mission to Disaster.

Unlike A Test of Courage and Race to Crashpoint Tower (set during the Great Disaster and the attack on Valo), Mission to Disaster is a prequel to the main novel for Wave 3, The Fallen Star. The book is split between two storylines—one with Vernestra and Imri dealing with some mysterious kidnappings on the planet Dalna and the other with Avon Starros held captive by the Nihil themselves. They eventually come together as Vernestra and Imri’s main objective is to save their friend Avon, with surprising twists and turns that make the story all the more entertaining. Compared to previous installments, Ireland’s latest The High Republic book takes less character development leaps in favor of a more story-driven approach, which is not surprising since Vernestra, Imri, and Avon have had plenty in A Test of Courage and Out of the Shadows.

Mission to Disaster also introduced the young readers to new characters on both sides of the conflict: on the Jedi side, Nyla Quinn, Yacek Sparkburn and Lyssa Votz and on the Nihil side Dr. Mkampa (and Deva Lompop, if you count it as a chronological appearance). The latter really shines in terms of personality and characteristics—her enhanced cybernetics and especially her mentorship role for Avon, probably the most intriguing aspect of the story.

Once again, Mission to Disaster features cover and inner artwork by Icelandic artist Petur Antonnson—each art piece truly brings the crucial moments from the story to life with amazing character and environment representations, all topped with stunning colors.

As a middle grade reader, Mission to Disaster is yet another great way to enjoy the amazing storytelling of The High Republic, but adult readers should not skip this book as it’s an essential tale that beautifully ties to the rest of the all-new era of Star Wars. Make sure to grab your copy today and let us know your thoughts on our social media channels.

"Mission to Disaster" is the next adventure of Jedi Vernestra Rwoh and Padawan Imri Cantaros. It is a continuation of Justina Ireland's previous books in the High Republic series, and all of her main characters from the previous books have major roles in this story. Overall the book doesn't advance the High Republic metanarrative much, but it does develop Ireland's main characters in a way that previous two did not. "Vern" seems to have matured a bit and is not as much of a self-conscious teen, Imri has settled into his force abilities and progresses as a Padawan, and Avon Starros seems to develop the most throughout the story, especially in her abilities as a scientist and critical thinker.

If the reader is reading the entire High Republic metanarrative, they should read this book before Claudia Gray's "The Fallen Star."

This book is at its heart a story which encompasses the ideology that “We are all the Republic.“ It is a story of non-force users, (the ordinary people), and Jedi alike trying to do what they can to ensure the ruthless Nihil will never win and that light remains in the galaxy. We see more of established characters we already love and we meet new characters to fall in love with. Despite being targeted at younger audiences the stakes feel very high in this story and it keeps the reader intrigued right from page one. Fans of The High Republic should not skip the middle grade books and Mission to Disaster is no exception!

In both YA and middle grade, Justina Ireland always manages to strike the perfect balance between character and plot within her High Republic stories. For me, Mission to Disaster combined some of the best parts of her previous installments - the characters and their emotional journeys from A Test of Courage (in particular I was thrilled to see Avon Starros again) + the intrigue-filled plot of Out of the Shadows. The story is fast-paced and there are quite a few plot twists. It's a contained story but there are threads left at the end for future installments (likely The Fallen Star/the High Republic comics) and I'm looking forward to seeing how those come together.

In Star Wars: The High Republic: Mission to Disaster van Justina Ireland keren Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh en haar Padawan Imri Cantaros terug in een nieuw avontuur in de High Republic. Vernestra is Imri aan het trainen op Kirima wanneer de Nihil een aanval uitvoeren op Port Haileap. Vernestra en Imri vertrekken naar Haileap om te helpen en leren dat de Nihil een groep kinderen ontvoerd heeft. Waaronder hun vriend Avon Starros, de briljante dochter van senator Ghirra Starros. Het drietal was ook samen in A Test of Courage dat zich tijdens de gebeurtenissen rond de Great Disaster afspeelde.

Vern en Imri zijn vastbesloten om Avon en de andere kinderen te redden en gaan achter de Nihil aan. Hun zoektocht leidt ze naar de planeet Dalna, waar ook al enige tijd kinderen verdwijnen. In de Jedi tempel daar ontmoeten we Jedi Masters Nyla Quinn, Yacek Sparkburn en Jedi archivaris Lyssa Votz, welke alle drie direct klaar staan om te helpen. En zoals het een goed Star Wars boek betaamd zijn de problemen vele malen groter dan de personages zich hadden kunnen voorstellen.

Gedurende het avontuur wordt het meermaals duidelijk gemaakt dat de inwoners van Dalna het niet zo hebben op de Jedi. Dalna heeft zich kort geleden bij de Republic gevoegd, maar hoewel er wel een Jedi Tempel op de planeet te vinden is, zitten de inwoners van de planeet niet bepaald op hulp van de Jedi te wachten. Dit komt door een gebeurtenis van lang geldeden die aangeduid wordt als de ’Night of Sorrow.’ Ik heb zomaar het gevoel dat we hier in de tweede fase van The High Republic meer over te weten gaan komen.

Zowel Vern als Imri zijn erg gegroeid sinds we ze in A Test of Courage leerde kennen. Ik heb wel het gevoel dat veel van die groei buiten ons zicht gebeurt is, maar dat is ergens ook logisch als we kijken naar het feit dat er zo’n twee jaar tussen A Test of Courage en Mission to Disaster zitten en we deze Jedi maar enkele keren voorbij hebben zien komen in andere verhalen. Maar ondanks dat we nog maar relatief weinig tijd met ze doorgebracht hebben is Vernestra één van mijn favoriete Jedi uit het High Republic Tijdperk. En hoewel Imri in A Test of Courage geen geweldige indruk op me maakte, heeft hij sindsdien veel meer diepgang en persoonlijkheid gekregen en ik zou het verre van vervelend vinden om beiden in de toekomst nog vaker in verhalen tegen te komen.

Net als A Test of Courage en Race to Crashpoint tower bevat ook Mission to Disaster een aantal leuke en kleurrijke illustraties van de hand van Peter Antonsson en ook de omslagillustratie is weer zijn werk. Hij weet zoals altijd op vrij een minimalistische manier een hoop detail en gevoel in zijn illustraties te verwerken en de sfeer van het verhaal goed uit te beelden.

De audio versie van het boek wordt voorgelezen door Keylor Leigh die eerder ook Out of the Shadows en A Test of Courage ingesproken heeft. Leigh heeft een erg prettige voorleesstem en leest op een erg fijn tempo. Ze geeft alle personages een eigen herkenbare stem, maar een luisteraar zal nooit onder de impressie zijn dat het boek door meerdere personen ingesproken is. Het is overduidelijk dat Leigh alle stemmen doet, maar ze doet dat wel op een manier die elke stem uniek maakt, je zal er nooit aan twijfelen wie er aan het woord is. En uiteraard wordt de ervaring verder compleet gemaakt met de nodige achtergrondmuziek en geluidseffecten die je als luisteraar het gevoel geven echt in het verhaal te zitten.

De gebeurtenissen in Mission to Disaster spelen zich af vóór die in The High Republic: Fallen Star, welke tegelijk uitgebracht werd, al is het niet erg als je Fallen Star eerst leest. Ook is het niet erg als je eerder nog geen High Republic boeken gelezen hebt, zolang je een globaal beeld hebt van wie de Nihil als vijand ongeveer zijn wordt alles dat je verder moet weten in het boek verteld en kun je er prima van genieten.

Mission to Disaster is wat mij betreft zeker een aanrader als je eerder al van A Test of Courage genoten hebt. Ook als je die iets aan de kinderachtige kant vond zou ik Mission to Disaster zeker een kans geven. Hoewel ook dit boek op jongere lezers gericht is, is het verhaal wat volwassener en de persoonlijke ontwikkelingen van Vernestra en Imri zijn zeker niet alleen voor kinderen interessant.

Naar mijn idee is Irelands Mission to Disaster een uitstekende toevoeging aan de High Republic.

The High Republic: Mission to Disaster is a quick, fun, and satisfying read. This book is a great addition to the High Republic wave of novels and offers something for both the young reader target audience, and adults looking for more High Republic fun. Vernestra Rwoh, Avon Starros, and Imri Cantaros all get some extra depth and growth in this book, and continue to be some of my favorite characters. Ireland does a great job of bringing them all to life while staying consistent with their portrayals from other authors. The plot itself is definitely more on the simple side, which is perfect for kids. That being said, it's focused simplicity is a strength and ties in perfectly with the recently released adult novel, The Fallen Star. It's truly impressive just how well all of the events line up in the High Republic timeline across all of the ongoing projects. This book is a strong recommendation from me, and it's a really fun way to spend an afternoon or two with some fun and relatable characters. 4/5 stars!

Another great High Republic adventure from Justina Ireland, which builds to The Fallen Star perfectly.
The Nihil are causing seemingly “light” trouble on various planets, but have started to kidnap children.
What is their motive? And why are they causing so many issues?
Avon is one of the children kidnapped, and what this book does is hero an intelligent child in a way that is delightful to read, and exciting to follow even for older (I’m 46) readers.
Some of the book ties into theories in Thrawn Lesser Evil around Force connections and shared visions which is pretty cool too.
This was a quick read (a couple of hours) but a real page turner. With appearances from Vern and Imri, Avar and some of the other Jedi we have come to love in the High Republic, this is definitely a recommended read.
Some new creatures also have been added to give richness to the planets and biomes, and Justina writes in a way that will appeal to adults and kids alike.
The Wishful Thinking feels like a nod to the late Carrie Fisher which is wonderful (whether intended or not) and there is delightful representation too.
Overall, a really fun read and a great feed into The Fallen Star.

The High Republic’s first Phase is coming to a close and Mission to Disaster, written by Justina Ireland, is one of the opening novels of the final wave. Focusing on characters Ireland first introduced in the opening wave, the novel deals with Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh trying to save Avon Starros, and other children, when it becomes clear the Nihil have started kidnapping kids to bolster their ranks. Mission to Disaster, never shying away from the ramifications and its deeper subject matters, while adding to fan-favorite characters and building out a convincing ecosystem, is one of Ireland’s best entries of the era so far.

Set prior to the events of The Fallen Star, the adult novel kicking off Phase I, Wave III’s start, Mission to Disaster finds Jedi Knight prodigy Vernestra Rwoh and her Padawan Imri Cantaros on the search for young inventor Avon Starros, kidnapped by the Nihil. In captivity Avon finds herself struggling to survive and make sure the other kids snatched alongside her are okay, her brilliant mind recruited by the deadly Dr. Mkampa, who’s responsible for the Nihil’s fog of war, for a project that could change everything for the planet she’s imprisoned on. As with Ireland’s previous middle-grade entry, A Test of Courage, and even Daniel José Older’s own MG novel, she doesn’t shy away from hard-hitting moments, emotional exploration, and mature-like themes, making it all accessible to the younger readers but complex enough any age reader will have much to take away from it. Plus, if you’re like me, then Vernestra and Avon are among your favorite characters and there’s no way you’d ever miss their next appearances! Ireland has produced some stellar novels/works so far, Out of the Shadows being a YA entry for Wave II of Phase I, and I’d place this alongside and just below OotS simply due to everything that happens within, but this is easily her most consistent work to date, with some great character moments and details about a planetary system, content I feel like we’ve missed in the large event focused novels.

Vernestra, an even more confident Jedi after the events of A Test of Courage and Out of the Shadows, where her latent hyperspace Force vision abilities led her to Mari San Tekka, the woman providing the Nihil with their sneaky hyperspace routes and gave Vernestra special coordinates before passing, she’s at least still open to learning but has some struggles teaching her Padawan Imri. Their relationship as Padawan and Master despite the closeness in age has been an intriguing part of Vernestra’s story and character, as they’ve both had to deal with the awkwardness and issues with respect, while it shows how important teaching is to mold a better Jedi. She’s still having her hyperspace visions but doesn’t seem as ruled by what they show as most Jedi we know who have them, be it Luke Skywalker, Ezra Bridger, or Sifo Dyas, and is more willing to understand the vision is just one of many outcomes. Imri has progressed, the meditations he and Reath Silas uncovered in OotS have helped, but that doesn’t mean he’s still overwhelmed in certain moments Vernestra doesn’t try to protect him at times, a small source of friction that doesn’t gain much here but could be something down the line. Both of them have to come to terms that their feelings for Avon, and desire to rescue her, aren’t as important as the larger scandal unfolding on Dalna, and it was interesting to see them thread the line of attachments here whereas even the slightest amount of their feelings in the prequel era would’ve likely been a bigger deal to the Masters/Council. I look forward to High Republic stories further discussing the debate on helping the Republic/fighting the Nihil, something these two both don’t feel comfortable with yet it seems like the larger swath of Jedi do, which could cause friction from how the Jedi decide to respond after the events of The Fallen Star, which like I said earlier takes place after this. Vernestra feels like she’s becoming this era’s Qui-Gon Jinn more and more and I am so here for it, as she’s definitely my favorite Jedi right alongside Keeve Trennis. Speaking of, it seems like it might be a good idea to be reading the final The High Republic issues for more Vernestra before Phase I closes…

Since AToC, and after she didn’t appear in OotS (though her mom Ghirra Starros did), I’ve been eagerly awaiting the return of Avon Starros, still my favorite non-Jedi of the era so far, even over the crew of the Vessel (though they are VERY close), and her return here didn’t disappoint. In Mission to Disaster, Avon is nearing her work on synthesizing the kyber crystal she took from Imri’s broken lightsaber (one Vernestra cut in half when they fought…it’s complicated) when the Nihil raid the lab, kidnapping her. When we first found out she had taken Imri’s kyber, I immediately thought it could lead to her making the first discoveries which inadvertently could later lead to the Death Star, but here she discusses how she’s excited to harness it’s power conducting abilities to help power entire planets, which feels like a fun play on words with what the kyber crystals end up being used for anyways/what I was first thinking. Having already been kidnapped before, her mother is a Senator and she was held for ransom at one point, her previous experience, even at such a young age unfortunately for her, combined with her analytical mind means she’s always tinkering and planning, looking for a way out for her and the others captured with her. This analytical mindset is why she’s become such a favorite of mine, as while she’s still a kid and deals with emotions like the rest of us, she’s able to detach to some degree thanks to her scientific mind, calculating survival rather than worry about if she can survive. It gets used against her, as the Nihil Tempest Runner Kara Xoo, teased to have plans to mess with Dalna way back in AToC, and the nefarious Dr. Zadina Mkampa essentially recruit her compliance or face death/being sold to slavers (like I said, this doesn’t shy away from mature themes!), though she manages to find a way to mess with their plans…or does she? What happens and how she deals with it are important and intriguing parts of MtD and made me even more eager to see more of Avon, especially once she picks up on a surprising turn for another character (one of the confusing moments in The Fallen Star but makes a little more sense here). Considering what we know about October’s Phase II start, it might be awhile before we see Avon again to deal with the fallout.

Another returning character is Honesty Weft, as well as some Jedi on Starlight Beacon, though they all have minor or short roles for the most part. It was neat to check in with Honesty again though, his experiences with the Avon and the Jedi from AToC having changed him enough that he’s one of the few helpful Dalnans on the planet as Vernestra and team look into the child disappearances; the politicians we do meet from Dalna have varying levels of mystery around them and their actions, though I appreciated the nuance Ireland’s able to tuck in during their brief roles. Otherwise, we meet a handful of new Jedi from the Dalna Temple, first introduced in November, and I liked the variety within: Lyssa Votz (a fun reference to the hardworking, all important publicist for Disney Publishing Lyssa Hurvitz), an archivist who often purposefully forgets to bring her lightsaber along on mission; Yacek Sparkburn, who may or may not be related to Jordanna Sparkburn, a last name that functions much like Snow does for the families of Winterfell in Game of Thrones but here it’s the San Tekkas, whose bravado doesn’t make you think he’d have bigger conversations but he does join the group chatting about the Jedi and their place with the Republic and fighting; Master Nyla Quinn, an older Twi’lek woman who runs the Temple, whose history there makes me interested to see her again in Phase II. They’ve relatively been untouched by the Nihil and Drengir situations unfolding across the galaxy, so therefore are one of the few Jedi still not called into action in this mostly peaceful era, reminding me of all the Jedi from Phase I, Wave I back in January 2021, answering the call when they never expected to beyond maybe settling disputes. And lastly, though definitely not least, I loved the slow reveal of Deva Lompop, a character first revealed in June prior to her first appearance in the comic War of the Bounty Hunters – Jabba the Hutt #1, which for older readers would be a great place to see if her threats about eating people is legitimate or not, and her first THR appearance doesn’t disappoint as we learn a little more about her that the comics never covered; while Phase II is heading in a new direction, the fact she’s a long-lived species means this certainly won’t be the last we’ll see of her.

Considering much of The High Republic content has been focused on propelling the plot forward, we haven’t had many works so far that sink into the locations, sometimes introducing some new and interesting planets or unique ships for the era, but not really exploring them beyond using them as a setting, though thankfully Mission to Disaster changes that by making the planet Dalna a character in of itself. Dalna is considered a young planet, in the relative sense of the term, and the conditions of these early years makes it ripe for a very delicious fruit that has transformed their economy. Ireland unearths even more details about its plate tectonics and other scientific aspects, and while it can often sound like mumbo jumbo (way less than what Avon and Dr. Mkampa spout to each other though is fun to read), it adds realism to the tale and adds stakes to when the threat to Dalna becomes clear. I hope more stories can breathe as much life into their locations in the future as MtD does, as it helps ground the tale in the places they are set and makes you connect with it more so if it is in danger, it ratchets up the tension. I won’t go into specifics here, but there are also a lot of references throughout MtD regarding events that happened over a hundred years ago, which after the High Republic Anniversary Special revealed Phase II: Quest of the Jedi would take place 150 years before Phase I even started, means we should probably expect to see Dalna a lot more and knowing as much as I do about the planet now and the mysteries of its past, makes me even more excited for the unique direction of Phase II.

Illustrator Petur Antonsson returns to delight with three new pieces of art, one of which was already revealed when it was announced the Halcyon, the real-world Star Wars hotel’s in-universe location, would make an appearance in the era. It’s a neat image, recently replicated in an issue of The High Republic comic, but the other two images are actually even more stellar, one with their depiction of two characters together I had a blast seeing and of course an action Vern shot. If you want more of Antonsson’s work, don’t forget to check out the picture books, which retell events from the adult novels, containing more of his art and stickers!

The High Republic – Mission to Disaster brings some of my favorite characters together for a tight, focused, and an intriguing tale, packed with interesting details and hints of what’s to come for the era going forward, proving once again Justina Ireland can balance content for any age.

The entire High Republic is an absolute treat, but people skipping the middle grade novels are missing out on some of the best characters and fleshing out of the world and time period. I always look forward to Justina Ireland’s work, and Avon Starros has quickly become a favorite character. The heartbreak of reading this book after the Fallen Star, since it takes place beforehand, just makes it all the worse for my poor sad Star Wars fan heart, but knowing Avon’s propensity for crystal research and her mother representing Hosnian Prime leads to the Death Star and eventually Starkiller Base destroying Hosnian Prime makes this middle grade have such a deeper meaning in the SW canon. Just another banger from the High Republic, can’t recommend it enough.

ARC Copy...Other then an interesting trip into a time period before the "prequels", very fast paced and interesting narrative with high stakes. In addition, Avon is interesting POV protagonist to follow being determined and "brainy".

Mission to Disaster is part of the larger High Republic narrative. This book, along with Claudia Gray's The Fallen Star and Daniel José Older's Midnight Horizon, makes up the end of phase I for the publishing initiative.

In it we see young Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh and her padawan, Imri Cantaros, struggle to help the people of Dalna survive a terrible threat from the dreaded Nihil and a harrowing tale about Avon Starros, a headstrong and brilliant young scientist who has been kidnapped by the Nihil only to have her skills put to nefarious use.

The book relies heavily on the science of the era which can be a little confusing but overall the story fits its target audience and gives us a sense of the larger threat that the Nihil represent to the galaxy at large.

Mission to Disaster is a quick read with some heavy action and clear connections to this phase of storytelling plus some nods to what we might expect in the second phase of the High Republic initiative. Recommended.