SO many threads come together in this novel . It's is the Omega to the Alpha that kicked this whole initiative off. There is tremendous action, heart and heartbreak in this story but its threaded through with themes of love, resilience and light. I found it tremendously satisfying as someone who has had the gift of reading the entire initiative. This is a series that will draw new readers for years to come and it's going to be a delight to welcome new fans to the community.

When it comes to Star Wars books, I’m always thinking ahead. It kind of comes with the job. Knowing that Trials of the Jedi was going to be a big deal — surely an emotional roller coaster and then some — I figured I’d do something for the podcast I hadn’t done before. As soon as I finish reading my review copy, I thought, I’ll immediately record a quick, raw reaction to the ending — obviously to be posted at a later date. I’ve always been fascinated by book endings, particularly with how they affect the reader upon finishing a book and in the hours and days that follow.

One thing you learn early on as a journalist is that almost nothing ever goes according to plan. And it’s always the plans you’re most anticipating that derail themselves with the most sparks and noise.

The moment I finished the final page of Trials of the Jedi, I picked up my phone to record a quick voice memo. Nothing fancy. I just wanted my listeners to be able to hear, at the very least, the emotion in my voice. But even before I hit the record button, I found myself absolutely speechless. This, I quickly realized, was an ending I could not, should not, react to instantly. I wanted to experience it alone. I needed to sit with it, to let myself feel it, process it, and begin the process of understanding what it meant to me — a longtime fan not just of The High Republic, but also of Star Wars in every aspect of its existence.

As I sit down to finally write this, it has been four days since I finished Charles Soule’s conclusion to the series as we know it. Even now, I find myself struggling to articulate exactly how it feels to be on the other side of this endeavor. To have reached the end of a collective journey that we’ve all also experienced in vastly different, individually unique ways. I could tell you about my High Republic journey — how I wasn’t sure, at first, if this new era and its new characters were going to grab and hold onto me. I could attempt to describe what it has been like to cover so many of the series’ releases, speak to its creators, and fall in love with the power of storytelling in a way I hadn’t before.

But I think chronicling that journey is best suited for another time, a different essay or episode or discussion. As I sit here, imagining you reading this, knowing you’re here to find out whether or not a book you’ve heard might be a big deal met my expectations, I have to be honest … I do not know how to properly review Trials of the Jedi as one individual story. Because it isn’t. It is the cultivation of dozens of people’s work, over a large number of years, that would not exist without the dozens of stories that came before it — in The High Republic alone, and otherwise.

I suppose, however, that I must deliver on the title of this review. It is, in a way, my promise to you — my commitment to explaining how this book performs as an ending, and as an individual story … as a work of art. As an entry into the vastly growing collection of Star Wars stories that define, in each their own way, what Star Wars is all about.

Trials of the Jedi is the story of The Nine who travel to an unnamed planet to save the galaxy. The Blight is devastating more and more worlds, with seemingly no way to stop it. The Nihil and their Nameless creatures are holding even healthy worlds hostage. Marchion Ro seeks the kind of power and influence only the Chancellor of the Republic might be able to grant him. There are a number of vital missions that must be completed if the galaxy is to be saved. If any of them fail, the entire galaxy will crumble to dust.

This is the most information I can give you about the book without spoiling even the smallest events that send this story on its forward trajectory. Many things will end here. Many discoveries will be made. Emotions will be felt … you’ve been waiting years for these events to unfold, and you’ve finally arrived. The question is this: Are you prepared for the end of an era that has changed Star Wars, for the better, forever?

Because I was not. I was not adequately prepared to say goodbye. Was the wait worth it? For me, it was worth everything — the hours I’ve spent reading, rereading these books, the months I spent this year alone catching up on comics. All the conversations I’ve had with these authors, knowing they couldn’t tell me how it would all end, knowing they were going to do their best to satisfy us all. It was worth all the pain, and all the joy. It has made me so grateful to be a Star Wars book reader, and a fan of a galaxy far, far away.

Most importantly, though, I have to acknowledge that this book was everything I personally hoped it would be and more. To be able to read a book chapter by chapter, literally on the edge of my chair, not knowing at any point whether or not I was going to sigh with relief or tremble with worry — I can’t remember the last time I have felt every page of a book so deeply. This is a story that does not let its readers rest. It does not have time for that. Soule does not waste pages on needless words. Yet every word he writes is poetic, his paragraphs filled with the kind of prose that begs you to keep reading — even though you’ll have to go back for a second read to truly appreciate how beautifully crafted each sentence truly is.

I do not know the weight of the pressure the author may have carried writing this larger story’s final chapter. Maybe I’ll ask him. But I do know that he agreed to a nearly impossible task and produced the best work this series has seen yet. I cannot imagine what it must have been like to know you were responsible for ending so many stories at once, knowing so many people would be reading and reacting to those endings, and still accomplish the task you were given with such grace and elegance that I’m not certain another Star Wars book will ever top it.

Who wins? Who lives? Who learns, grows, repeats old mistakes, finally gets what they’ve always wanted? I cannot say. Not yet. But I can assure you that everyone gets an ending. No one’s fate is truly left a mystery. This is not an ending that forgets to weave together its loose ends. But that’s not to say it does not leave room for future tales. This is Star Wars, after all. It never really ends. Not completely. Not forever.

When The High Republic began, we were promised an epic, overarching story about the Jedi of the Golden Age of the Galactic Republic. A story about hope, and fear, and shadow, and light. About the Force, and how it is used, and power — and what it means when someone will do anything to have it all. To say that Trials of the Jedi fulfills every original promise about this new era of Star Wars storytelling would be an unfair understatement. Trials is, as best as I can articulate, the epitome of a worthwhile conclusion. Writing an ending is easy. Writing an ending that matters is not. Soule has written an ending that matters. It speaks so clearly to our modern circumstances, and yet, defines the High Republic era so perfectly.

For what does it mean to gaze upon an ending that changes how you see what’s most meaningful to the living? If Star Wars is the story of hope, then Trails of the Jedi is the tale of hope’s power to heal the universe. When you look up at the sky, and it seems everything is coming down around you, it’s hope that gives you the strength to keep your eyes forward, to keep going even when it’s hard. To keep trying, even when you do not believe it’s worth the effort.

Hope alone does not save us. Hope empowers us — all of us — to save ourselves. To save each other.

I do not know if this is a good review. I do not know if my promising that this book will make you feel feelings and contemplate the value of your own existence in an increasingly uncertain world will prompt you to read it. But I do know that I worried, before opening to the first page, that this story would not be enough. That it would end, and I would not feel that it had given me all that I needed to feel whole.

If nothing else, I can honestly say that this book left me feeling fuller and more hopeful than I have in quite some time. I may be wary of endings in general, but this is a good one. I do not know what you want out of this book, if it will fulfill all your expectations, if you will finish it feeling a certain way. But The High Republic has never failed at is task of telling stories that shape us into better versions of ourselves, and Trials of the Jedi isn’t just a good example of that. It is the example we’ve been waiting for.

This series may be over — for now. But Trials of the Jedi will stick with me for years to come. It is Star Wars at its best. It is the beacon of hope we’ve needed all along. It is the light we have been missing. It will never leave us. We are all The High Republic.

It’s a bit of a daunting task to review a book I’m fairly confident the majority of the readership of this website is already planning on reading. It’s funny, though, because there’s so many reasons we can bank on that. You already know Charles Soule: he’s a mega-talented writer, showing a lot of competency in writing both comics and prose novels; he’s a massive mover in the Star Wars galaxy; and he kicked off this initiative with a bang, so we can know he’ll want to end the initiative with a bang. You already know The High Republic: it’s the mega-popular publishing initiative that has now worked its way into movies and TV; it features a lot of new fan favorite characters (some of whom have found themselves on TV and trading card games); and it’s the fire that was lit under the franchise, and many fans, in terms of rekindling our love for the franchise. But even though I know you’re going to read this novel, the fun part of The High Republic is that we all love it so much we’re going to want to keep talking about it ad nauseum.

Really, I think that there are two major questions that we all had going into this final novel of the entire initiative: was Trials of the Jedi going to be able to hit every necessary character beat we were looking for and was it going to hit every story beat we were hoping for?

When it comes to hitting every character beat: it wasn’t going to be able to, but thankfully, it did a fairly massive job in covering quite a few of the bases. Of course, going into this, I think we all assumed that Avar Kriss and Elzar Mann were going to be the main characters. They were, of course, Soule’s focus in Light of the Jedi. They were separated in Phase I, but Avar remained a significant character in the comics and Elzar in the Penguin Random House World novels. Phase III saw the chemistry between the two characters, reuniting them for the Marvel series Shadows of Starlight and at the end of The Eye of Darkness. Of course, famously, Temptation of the Force really turned up the heat, and Trials adopts this and brings the characters to the conclusion of the story in a way that, I think, will satisfy readers of the series. For me, I think I had far fewer questions about these characters in terms of “will they end up together forever” or “what will their relationship look like” and more like: when the stakes of the conflict include the galaxy themselves, what are they willing to give up and sacrifice? What will they do to stay true to themselves as Jedi and the Force? I think this because well, one, I’m not much of a romance reader, and two, I think we knew their story would ask these questions. When Jedi are in relationships, they do have to consider what it means to them and they have to consider what they’re willing to give up (and how closely they can abide by a certain no attachments rule). I’m thankful to say Soule manages this well, in my opinion. He knows what it means for Jedi to be in love, and I think he writes these characters in believable ways. It’s hard to talk about these two without spoilers, as you can imagine!

The other character I think we were most curious to see is Marchion Ro. Overall, I think two characters have been missing from Phase III: Ro and Vernestra Rwoh. (What a weird coincidence their names sound so similar?) As Phase I progressed, we saw a bit of Marchion’s character development, but he always stood in the background as a somewhat shadowy leader, and novels seemed to focus more on what he did rather than what he wanted. It wasn’t until Marvel’s Eye of the Storm that we started to see his background and a little bit more of what makes him tick. Unfortunately, I personally don’t think Phase III has addressed much of what Ro wanted or why he was doing all of this. Again, we only saw what he was doing. To me, this felt like one of the main weaknesses of the initiative. The recent THR roundtable posted to StarWars.com argues there were many villains in THR: Marchion, the Nihil, the Drengir, and the Blight. Unfortunately, few of these could really have characterization, and in my opinion, none overshadowed Marchion as the “main” villain in the story anyway. All of this to say: Trials does come back to revisit him. We do get a very clear thesis statement of what Ro wants and why everything is happening. As thankful as I was to get that, I can’t help feeling like it was a little too late and little….too little? I would’ve loved to have this information earlier in the Phase. While it feels congruent with his actions earlier in the Phase, and retroactively sheds light on the Phase, I feel like it comes a little out of left field from where we last left him and I would’ve loved a bit more time to get to know him. But if you’re worried about how well they were going to handle his ultimate fate: don’t worry. I think his ultimate fate is handled really well, and even though it’s cliched to say it, it was an ending I certainly didn’t expect.

Of course, even in a novel this weighty, Soule wasn’t going to have time to develop every character with the same weight. Outside of these two, we hear about at least 16 other Jedi. Some get some pretty major character movement, like Burryaga and Bell Zettifar, while some, even on the Mission to Planet X, don’t get quite the same work, like Ty Yorrick. It’s a good rule of thumb to guess the major character work is given to characters with whom Soule has worked before. Now that’s not to say I’m dissatisfied with it: some characters may have seen the conclusion to their arcs earlier in the Phase and were almost just along for the ride. As it stands, I think this leaves space for other creatives to come in later and continue working with characters….even if we don’t know when that would be. I think this is a good case of Catch-22: I don’t think our expectations/hopes for the novel were ever going to be able to match the reality of what the novel would be. I think Soule really did a knock-out job capturing the characters that were super important to the story, and was able to give almost everybody else something meaningful to do in the novel if they weren’t the “main” focus. But I would still try and temper your hopes, letting the novel be the novel it is rather than the one you may have imagined in your mind.

Now to the second question: was the novel able to succeed as a climax to (for sure) Phase III, and (maybe) the entire initiative as a whole? This one may depend on what you were looking for from the initiative, but I am grateful in that I do not need to force myself to say it was a successful finale to me. While you objectively will not see all of your favorite characters in this novel, nor will you see an explicit ending to every single storyline, I would argue this does succeed as a finale to Phase III, the Penguin Random House Worlds novels, and the initiative as a whole. The reason this may be a good topic of discussion down the road is this: I really don’t believe it was intended to be a finale for all of it for two reasons. The first reason: it cannot focus on everything, so it immediately seems to focus on the stories set up in the prose novels. Almost every other medium has seen their own conclusions, so this novel didn’t need to serve as another conclusion to those stories. (As a caveat: it does continue some of those stories, as characters like Terec and Ceret or Kelnacca or Buckets of Blood primarily featured in other mediums.) The second reason is Soule wrote this as a spiritual successor to Light of the Jedi, so it was written explicitly for people who may be picking this up as their first or second book in the series. (Whether or not that was “the play”, as they say, is up for debate, as the series reached 25 novels and hundreds of comics, but we’ll have another article on that later.) Because this was written with more accessibility in mind, I don’t think it was ever Soule’s intention to get as much as he could into this.

All of this being said: by sharpening the focus of the book to the mission of the Nine (the Jedi selected to return the captured Nameless to Planet X) and the Battle of Eriadu, this book was successful in wrapping up what I thought needed to be wrapped up. I’ll touch on these in reverse order. As the Battle of Eriadu played out across the comics (both Dark Horse and Marvel), I found myself struggling on a few levels. I wasn’t exactly sure why this was the battle that we were being shown; I wasn’t sure the significance of the battle for the massive list of characters involved in it; and, because of the odd way in which it started (to me), I wasn’t really able to fully buy into the stakes. Thankfully, Trials explained why this battle was so important and really worked out a lot of the knots in the story for me. The novel gives us a few new angles on the battle, all of which serve to add to the parts of the battle that we’ve already seen, rather than repeating them (like the first 100 pages or so of Path of Vengeance did with the Battle of Jedha). This novel made me want to revisit the Battle of Eriadu we’ve already seen (and makes me wish that we had seen this sooner, which may have helped me buy into the battle even sooner.) This novel finally explains huge missing chunks of the story that we would’ve needed before, like the destruction of the Stormwall (first mentioned in many other stories), another aspect I wish wasn’t saved until the end. But the reason is surprising, which MAY justify keeping the reason a secret for so long.

The mission to Planet X also serves as a great capstone to the entire story of the Nameless. Across Phase III, a bunch of Jedi groups were able to capture Nameless creatures, and they’ve stayed in limbo for a while. This novel immediately starts with the mission: bring them back to Planet X and see if that stops the Blight. While this is a natural step, flowing from Yoda’s connection to a Nameless in The Edge of Balance: Premonition, and follows Reath’s research from Echoes of Fear, I wish we could’ve seen more about the Jedi putting every piece together. Some stories, like Vernestra’s Path, received from the late Mari San Tekka, simply find their conclusion and move on without much conversation, as if the conversation happened off-screen, when I would’ve loved to see it on-screen. But this may not be Trials’ fault as much as a concern of a far too busy Phase III (another discussion for another post). I won’t get into much details about the mission itself, but I will say: we probably all expected something similar. The Jedi would break through the protective barrier around the planet, return the Nameless, face Marchion, and everything would be wrapped up nicely. I am thankful to say: Soule probably did assume we’d think that and decided to make sure it was more exciting and much more layered than that.

Overall, I can’t help but say that my expectations for the novel were sky-high. Going into the novel, I knew I was asking too much of it, but I still couldn’t temper them. I trusted Soule to do the impossible and bring this home well. I am grateful and excited to say: he did. There were always going to be mixed feelings when reading a conclusion to such a well-loved story. Everything we wanted to see covered was never going to be. We were never going to get everything wrapped up in a way that made everyone happy. Reading with this in mind will help. I personally did have to work through some of my own feelings of “oh, where was X” or “I wish we had more time for Y”. I had to work through my own thoughts of “wait…did this do what I wanted? Did I actually like this?” But as time has gone on, I think these feelings were borne out of the weird mixed feelings of conclusions and finitude. I don’t know how I could have prepared for the end of this story that I have loved so much. I don’t think I could’ve. This book was always going to hit me in a really weird way. But as time has gone on, and I’ve come to accept this series is done,* I’ve really come to appreciate the monumental task Trials of the Jedi took on, and even more appreciate that it did it well. The love for the franchise, the love for the publishing initiative, the love for these characters, the love for this story all shine through in this novel, and for that, I am very thankful and happy.

*But the story tags at the end promise we’re not done here. We were never going to be. Every announcement that more stories will take place during the High Republic, to me, felt like….well, yeah, of course. But for the time being: this is a fantastic conclusion for the story we loved, and I’ll always love this part of the franchise where we learned to fight for light and life.

Chris is Mynock Manor’s Sous Chef. You can follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisWerms and Bluesky. You can follow the website on Bluesky and Instagram @mynockmanor.

DISCLOSURE: I received a copy of this book from the publisher at no charge in order to provide an early review. However, this did not affect the overall review content. All opinions are my own.

Trials of the Jedi was a daunting task, but Charles Soule, and everyone who contributed to Project Luminous along the way, nailed it. Trials of the Jedi successfully elevates everything that came before, just as everything that came before elevated this epic finale. Like what Soule says in the acknowledgements, the beauty of this is everything everyone has done for The High Republic (THR) Initiative as a whole. Fans have been captivated with THR over the last few years, where there has always been something to read, but with this finale it will leave a gap for many readers, that is until the last remaining comics are published! Many of the arcs in those mediums are wrapped with Soule’s novel, so it’ll be interesting to see the impact after Trails of the Jedi.

Charles Soule brings The High Republic storytelling initiative to a close with this EPIC finale.

And it’s nothing short of perfection.

From the beginning of this publishing initiative, the authors have woven together a brilliant tapestry of characters, worlds, and events to fill out this new era. Throughout each phase, the stories have built upon each other and taken these new characters on their intricate journeys as the events unfolded. Charles Soule, who ushered us into this era with Light of the Jedi, now gives us the epic finale we’ve been waiting for. I normally try to evaluate each book release on its own so as not to overwhelm new readers and leave space for the possibility that each book might be someone’s first. This book could be that for someone. It’s filled with plenty of dimensional and interesting characters. There’s an overwhelming amount of action, from space battles to blaster shootouts, and of course, lightsaber duels. There’s lots of Force lore and Jedi mysticism. Filled with moments of heart, hope, light, dark, and tragedy throughout. All of it could be an amazing self-contained Star Wars adventure one could pick up off the shelf (or ebook reader, I don’t judge. I’m an audiobook dude myself) and enjoy.

However…

If you’ve been following The High Republic publishing, then this book will be much more than that. I read everything. Young adult books. Manga. Middle grade readers. Audio Dramas. Maybe you only like comics. Maybe you only read novels. If you’ve followed these characters and events this far, then this book is a glorious crescendo of storytelling that builds upon everything that came before it. Charles Soule brings us an amazingly mythic finale to the stories we’ve been so invested in throughout this era. This has been one of the best publishing initiatives in Star Wars storytelling, and this book gives us the send-off we deserve.

This is a must-read finale for each and every High Republic fan who loved these stories of light and life.

After four and a half years and numerous books and comics along the way, the current storytelling of the High Republic era arrives at its planned ending with Charles Soule’s The High Republic: Trials of the Jedi. Wrapping up the era much like it started, Trials of the Jedi is a thrilling, emotional, and packed finale which should leave fans satisfied, even if they’ll miss the era (for now) even more afterwards.

As the dreaded Blight continues to spread, taking whole worlds with it, and the Nihil’s Occlusion Zone remains, the Jedi Order, the Republic, and the Eye of the Nihil Marchion Ro strive to bring an end to the conflict in their own ways. For the Republic, Lina Soh faces the choice between taking up Marchion’s offer for a cure to the Blight or trust the Jedi with their own plans to stop it, all while a powder keg erupts on Eriadu and the Republic and Nihil are forced into one final battle. With the Jedi Order, they’ve gathered enough information and resources to understand the link between the Blight and the Nameless means bringing the creatures back to their home planet, Planet X, which might save the galaxy, though while the how and why are still elusive, they set out to take the dangerous journey regardless. And with Marchion, well, no one ever really knows what he wants or is planning until it’s too late, but he enters the end game of his plans, which of course means nothing good for the galaxy.

Trials of the Jedi balances all these threads well and packs plenty of action and emotional stakes to the proceedings, as it doesn’t take long to get into the big set pieces like Planet X and the Battle of Eriadu, and once Trials gets there, it doesn’t let go yet keeps the characters in the forefront to resolve many of their arcs. Whether you’re new to the initiative or a long-time reader, Trials ends as readers might expect, forecasted either by the initiative so far or the simple fact it’s a prequel, but there are surprises along the way which will elicit discussion and debate as the current publishing initiative comes to a close. I’m not totally sure what I was expecting from Trials of the Jedi before I started it, though I felt satisfied and fulfilled after all these years following along, so I’d say fans should be thinking along the lines of Return of the Jedi or The Rise of Skywalker going in, as while it does wrap everything up, it doesn’t touch on every single facet or character (nor should it) and teases some intriguing ways this ending is only just the beginning for more stories of surviving favorite and unforeseen characters alike. The fact it goes about as one might suspect reads more like a testament to the clear vision of all the Luminous authors involved than a detriment, as it’s been more about the characters and their journeys anyways, and less about the ending, which has propelled fans, and positive reaction to the initiative, since the beginning. There were a few aspects of Trials of the Jedi which didn’t click with me personally, and some character choices which seemed odd, but they are minor, and maybe due to my expectations, and not all on the book or Soule.

Without intention, Trials of the Jedi arrives into a divisive world much like Light of the Jedi did in 2021, and while the latter’s release date was one day prior to what is now just a small mark of a dark turn for America, Soule packed the story with light indeed, showing a Jedi Order at its height and Republic full of acceptance and open arms, shouting “We are all the Republic.” Those hopeful words sound so far away these days, with citizens and non-citizens alike being rounded up and processed without due process, advisors and the fascist leader of the United States himself stirring up fermenting so they can point a finger and say the bad thing they’re saying is happening is happening, as if we didn’t all just have a fresh reminder of how fascism acts this way thanks to a stunning second season of Andor. It’s falling on citizens to shout “We are all the Republic” and stand against fascist arms of the government like ICE or denounce those who will do anything to shroud their genocide, as those we’ve elected stand immobile or pander without action. By the start of Trials of the Jedi, the galaxy is darker than it was at the start of the era (much like the difference in our world since Light of the Jedi), with the Nihil’s occupation stretching beyond hope and the Blight carelessly destroying everything in its path, so to see the same light of the Jedi come back in Trials, pierce through the darkness, alongside those who call themselves member of the Republic, is a hopeful message shining through a darkness over our world. Much like Andor, I don’t think the team behind the High Republic stories had any particular government or historical actions in mind, as parts of what I described in our world above happened after Soule finished writing Trials of the Jedi, so while I imagine Soule set out with Trials to deliver a message of light and life and hope to readers, regardless of what could be unfolding in the world around us, the prescient call to unite together just goes to show how such sentiments are as timeless and naturally reoccurring against the actions which prompt their necessity. Trials reads like a fitting distillation of everything this team set out to say four years ago, not only about its galaxy, the Jedi Order, and the Republic, but also about the world at large, and it’s a wonderful legacy for publishing’s biggest initiative.




While Trials covers a lot of characters, Phase III’s thrusting of Elzar Mann and Avar Kriss into the spotlight doesn’t let up within, starting with them picked for the initial Luminous Nine crew travelling to Planet X, the Nameless home world, even though the Order knows of their extracurricular activities. Soule does a good job of alternating their POVs, allowing us insight to their feelings for one another and the decisions they face and ultimately make once they arrive on Planet X, making them feel even more like a pair than ever before. I particularly enjoyed the return to their separate takes on the Force, with Avar’s Song of the Force playing an integral and eye-opening part of Trials’ resolution. I’ve been anxious to see how their relationship would play into their actions in Trials, especially since we’re in an era where the light of the Jedi shines the brightest, and it was refreshing to see it not devolve into a mess, but rather be exactly what’s needed for the situation on hand. It’s rare we get to see Jedi who share such attachment-filled feelings and yet be able to put them aside, for Light and Life, time and time again, something which felt only possible in this era and I hope, maybe one day, like in Rey’s New Jedi Order, we can see this be nurtured again. Their relationship as a focal point in Trials only heightens their bittersweet endings, one of a few parts which brought me tears, but happy tears nonetheless.

Having been one of the key characters for Soule’s Light of the Jedi and his story in Tales of Light and Life, as well as a reliable main character ever since, Jedi Knight Bell Zettifar, also one of the initial Luminous Nine, goes on a fascinating journey despite the turmoil of the team’s objectives. Bell straddles a dark line as he pursues justice for his Jedi Master, Loden Greatstorm, straining and pushing constant companions, the ever-reliable charhound Ember (I loved her one POV section!!), and Burryaga, the empathetic Jedi Knight whose abilities have led the Jedi Order to attempt this dangerous mission in the first place. Bell has come a long way since Phase I and the way Soule ties together all his appearances, honors them, and finds a way to test the Jedi Knight one more time ended up being my favorite part of Trials, and launched Bell to top tier character status. Burry’s own rise since his return, helped by Bell’s stubbornness, has been a joy to watch, especially in the Temptation of the Force and the Kashyyyk focused Into the Light, and he gets one more chance to show the depth of his empathy and how far he’s willing to go to use it to save light and life. Bell and Burry, the best of buds since the Wookiee’s rescue, have their particular strengths strained by their own goals and choices, and how Burry helps Bell, and the other way around, as well as Ember, all contribute to some of my favorite sections of Trials.

Also joining the Luminous Nine are Reath Silas and Azlin Rell, two characters intertwined since Azlin’s chilling return in Soule’s Shadows of Starlight. Both have weaved in and out of other stories for Phase III, including the not-to-be-missed The Edge of Balance manga series, Echoes of Fear, and the recent Into the Light as well, and the way the two have affected one another as Reath looked to unlock the dark and broken man’s mind for the mysteries of the Nameless and related artifacts has been fascinating. Soule ensures their fascinating dynamic takes some surprising turns, making all the push and pull between them throughout the Phase, as well as Azlin’s story and Reath’s progress with himself and his Master, more than worth it, and how things wrap up will be a big point of discussion; it made my theories about where and what the next big publishing initiative could focus on feel more likely. While back and forth on how much she wants to be involved in the Order, especially after some fascinating developments comics like Saber for Hire or Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone, Ty Yorrick is amongst the Luminous Nine too, thanks to her monster hunting prowess. Her ability to connect with what most people consider monsters, as well as her tracking abilities and rules outside of the Order’s, make her a formidable asset and she really stood her own amongst the usual book heavy-hitter characters, Soule ensuring all of Cavan Scott’s hard work with the character was honored. How she’s embroiled in Azlin and Reath’s story elevated all three characters in Trials.

Rounding out the Luminous Nine are Jedi Knight Terec and Jedi Master Torban “Buckets of Blood,” or more recently just “Buckets,” Buck. I’ve missed the Kobati bond-twin pair of Terec and Ceret in Marvel’s final The High Republic comics, though I’m glad they got to be in such a crucial release, providing a higher awareness of the characters and their LGBTQIA+ representation. The big reason Terec is part of the initial Nine is a smart and intriguing way of using their bond with Ceret, while I was happy Soule continued to develop and touch on the pair’s fracturing despite their innate bond. Torban primarily resides in Dark Horse’s The High Republic Adventures series so having him back in prose, hearing his medical mind dissect certain situations, like what leads to Burryaga replacing a different Luminous Nine or some wicked moments after they arrive on Planet X, really do the character justice.

As for Planet X and solving the puzzle of the Nameless, the answers in Trials are satisfying and offer interesting revelations. I feel like the depictions of Planet X in Path of Vengeance were my preferred, but the new and puzzling places the Luminous Nine explore within it make for a fuller and even more intriguing collective understanding of the planet. The truth of the Nameless and how it fairs against the Nameless prophecy are interesting, reminding readers prophecies are always open to interpretation, though I really enjoyed the revelations and it’ll add a new layer to rereads of the entire initiative. Overall, Trials left me wishing we would’ve had more time on Planet X, even though a huge chunk of the book takes place there, but the needs of the story meant contending page space with the Battle of Eriadu and a few Interludes along the way.

Marchion Ro’s POV parts in Trials, and what he gets up to against our heroes, were full of his usual surprises, fascinating mindset, and cold-blooded tactics. He’s always been a character I’d have liked peeled back a few more layers on, whether that’s diving into more Evereni lore/history or more time with his POV to better get a sense of his calculating mind, but Soule makes sure this appearance will be long remembered, as he’s involved in some new and surprising situations until the very end. How his story wraps up felt fitting, given how it’s a reflection of the era’s rallying cry and the sense of unity the authors have cultivated over the years, and I’d say Marchion will go down as one of the all-time memorable villains of the franchise.

With the Battle of Eriadu, I appreciated the return of Joss and Pika Adren, whose Phase III appearances were in Lydia Kang’s “Tales from the Occlusion” Star Wars Insider stories, Admiral Kronara of the Republic Defense Fleet, as well as Jedi Masters Kantam Sy and Emerick Caphtor, and Tarkin family members Navaj and Sevran. The non-Jedi POV and focus in these sections brought a much needed variety of perspectives to events and better exemplified the sense of “We are all the Republic, as we see non-Jedi, big and small, contributing to the fight against the Nihil. The Adren’s sections capture the frenzy of the battle there, while Kronara’s parts offer a larger perspective and make the battle feel more significant on a galactic scale. Given I’ve been reading The High Republic Adventures – Phase III, which has been focused on the Battle of Eriadu since issue #14 and the city of Bri-Phrang ever since issue #1, it was disappointing the city only gets a passing mention and feels insignificant to the battle, while the depiction of Sevran feels so divorced from the character in the comic, as she barely acknowledges the Jedi or that she was just at a big special wonderful wedding, though her brother Navaj seemed more like what we’ve met before, though he’s been more limited in the comics. Jedi Master Keeve Trennis is also helping with her fleet over Eriadu and, while I enjoyed the simple but more specific reference to her role in the combat, the fact her great speech in Fear of the Jedi #5 isn’t even mentioned also felt off. I get a lot of this could be down to the publishing process and things shifting, changing, or not finalized in time, but given this initiative has been so good at this before, and does good elsewhere in Trials even, it was a strange place to miss on these moments.

What it doesn’t miss on is the Porter Engle and Nihil General Abediah Viess conflict during the Battle of Eriadu, an absolute standout part of Trials amongst the sea of other big and memorable standout moments. When Porter enters the story, it’s in such an outlandish yet totally normal way for him, I was hooting and hollering, and it’s clear Soule has a special connection to the character, as these scenes sing in a unique and memorable way. Viess gets her due in her POV sections and how her conflict with Porter plays out, leading to a duel fans will long remember. I’m even more curious about Soule’s eventual The Broken Blade miniseries after these fantastic scenes.

The last characters I want to discuss are Ghirra Starros and Lina Soh, one the fallen Republic Senator who sided with the Nihil and the other the Chancellor of the Republic. Ghirra’s parts highlight how I wish we’d have had more Nihil POVs throughout the initiative, but how she deals with the developments with the Nihil and Republic conflict shows why she’s survived so long, yet why her daughter has taken the actions she has to distance herself. As for Lina, it wouldn’t have felt right without her perspective, and I found the direction she takes and her reaction to the conflict’s conclusion very intriguing, and a bit of a surprise, as it’s one of the best ways yet we see seeds laid for the Prequels. These two bring a much needed, and often underused and explored, political viewpoint to Trials.

Beyond my issues with connective tissue of Eriadu, I had a few other places where Trials didn’t fully click for me. On the smaller side was the treatment of Vernestra Rwoh who, despite what felt like all this build up to her getting this special hyperspace Path and all The Acolyte did to say she was legendary amongst the order centuries later, she’s sidelined in Trials and doesn’t have much to do. The reasoning the Order uses makes sense in-universe, but from a reader/fan perspective, and while some of this is from her being my one of top five favorites of the initiative, it doesn’t track and leaves questions on why her sideline is so abrupt. I’m really glad I read The Acolyte: Wayseeker before Trials, as while its spoilers are minor for this book, it’s a much better way to unpack the character’s story following this era’s events than how it closed out here. It’s not on Trials to provide everyone an ending, but it took a moment to adjust to the realization, besides the teased “Phase More” content to come, some of the final appearances of people’s favorites were exactly that in Phase III. On the bigger side, the Interlude chapters, which I understand the point of and what they were trying to do, did not work for me and almost took me out of the book. It’s a combination of things, part of it being my disappointment of it taking away from the characters I cared about, but it's more about the descriptions, and lack thereof, which didn’t work the most. The Interludes follow a regular family on a new planet as they deal with the onset of the Blight, though they aren’t described as any particular species or race, while we also learn the teenage son wears headphones, there's a Barko the House Mouse toy which seems to close a reference to Mickey Mouse, and their vehicle sounds like a station wagon in space. It’s hard not to take the lack of physical descriptors and the details about their lives mirroring ours and not fall into the well-researched phenomena of seeing these characters as a white human family, and one in our galaxy, not far, far away, both of which made these feel even more divorced from the narrative, not connected as designed. In fact, while I enjoyed At Attin in Skeleton Crew, as it made sense in-universe and ended up being a fun design, this felt like taking away the Star Wars-ness of that planet until we’re in our world. The point of the Interludes easily could’ve been met with a family of clearly described characters, on a familiar planet, or even with familiar faces, which is why I was left disappointed in the choice as some of these issues could’ve been easily avoided, though your mileage may vary. Overall, the collective issues I had with Trials don’t add up to anything close to ruining my enjoyment of it, but they bear discussion.

Charles Soule’s The High Republic: Trials of the Jedi had what seemed like an impossible task before it, much like his opening novel in 2021, yet he once again knocks it out of the atmosphere, with a rousing conclusion which brings readers the emotions they’re accustomed from the initiative, and while some parts didn’t quite work for me, it’s still an ending I was satisfied with in many regards.

It can’t be easy to write the final novel in a massive series spanning over four years, ten different authors, and countless books, comics, and short stories. Yet that’s exactly what Charles Soule did here with Trials of the Jedi. And he did not disappoint!

Before I dive too deep I will say that this book will really be enhanced if you’ve read the YA novels, Middle Grade Books, and the Comics. This is the culmination of everything, not the just the adult books in the series.

Solue absolutely delivers an action packed book that doesn’t slow down much at all. Once it gets going, it really gets going. Featuring some fantastic action scenes and fights, I found myself hardly able to stop reading and quite literally read for hours straight to finish this.

But does this book provide a satisfactory conclusion? I’m going to say yes it does. I think this is something that might be up to interpretation depending on who you are, but as someone who has been here since Light of the Jedi and consumed almost every piece of media, I found this to be a proper conclusion.

All in all Soule delivers a fantastic final book and though it’s bittersweet to see The High Republic come to an end, I hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of this era.

Four and a half years since the release of Light of the Jedi, and even longer since a little thing called “Project Luminous” was revealed to be a multi-year, multi-medium publishing initiative known as “The High Republic” I cannot believe I’m sitting here writing up my review for the final book in the series, Trials of the Jedi, the culmination of 24 novels, 3 audio dramas, and more short stories and comic issues than I can try to count right now.

The book follows…just about everyone, as the fight with the Nihil, and the fight for survival in the face of the planet-destroying Blight reaches its peak. While war rages on Eriadu, and Jedi and Republic leadership on Coruscant try to keep things from spiraling out of control, a team of nine — Avar Kriss, Elzar Mann, Bell Zettifar, Burryaga, Reath Silas, Torban Buck, Terec, Ty Yorrick and Azlin Rell — are sent to the Nameless homeworld to resolve everything once and for all and to hopefully bring an end to the Blight.

“Freaky Force stuff” is, I’ve said before, my favourite stuff in Star Wars, and Trials of the Jedi has that in spades. But more importantly, perhaps, is the way it truly brings the bulk of the story to a satisfying conclusion — I say “bulk” because as of right now, we still have 2 issues of The High Republic Adventures and a Finale one-shot comic on the way — in a way that feels earned.

This is what the last 4.5 years have been leading up to. A story this sprawling, a conflict this galaxy-changing was never going to have an easy solution, which probably would have felt insulting to anyone who invested any measure of time in it. What we get instead is a bittersweet story that retains, at its core, the key message of every High Republic story that came before — and, I hope, that will come after, this is only the end of the beginning after all — and certainly the key message of Star Wars: that hope, and good, and light might be hard-won, there will be losses along the way, but these things are always always worth fighting for.

Trials of the Jedi hits shelves on June 17. Special thank you to Random House Worlds for the advance copy for review purposes.

Review posted to my Space Wizards Book Club on Substack:

There was never a doubt in my mind that I would love Trials of the Jedi, the last novel in The High Republic publishing initiative. I didn’t have theories about what would happen, but I did anticipate feeling bittersweet sadness that these stories were finally coming to an end.

Trials of the Jedi exceeded all of my expectations. It’s an epic finale with harrowing action sequences that don’t let up through the book’s 448 pages. The novel by Charles Soule (who began The High Republic with Light of the Jedi) is also full of incredibly satisfying climaxes and endings to the stories of the most beloved characters in the era. It’s a beautiful ending and one that made me want to immediately turn back to page 1 and start it all over again.

Calling Trials of the Jedi special is a vast understatement. I don’t think I’ve ever read a Star Wars book as quickly as this one, and I doubt I’ve cried more with any other novel than with Trials of the Jedi. Don’t worry, they weren’t all tears of sadness or heartbreak. Most of them came in the last third of the book, as I read some of the most achingly beautiful moments in all of Star Wars.

We’ve been getting answers to all the biggest questions presented in The High Republic throughout Phase 3 — about the Nameless, the blight, the true motives of the Nihil and their mercurial Eye, Marchion Ro, and the purpose of the Jedi in an ever-changing galaxy. Going into Trials of the Jedi — and assuming you’ve read all the previous books in the series — the question was how the Jedi and Republic would finally win the war and save the galaxy from the nihilistic Marchion Ro.

After years of conflict with the Nihil, the Jedi and the entire galaxy have endured countless losses and devastating blows. The Nihil, through the machinations of Marchion Ro, have disrupted decades of peace and prosperity with marauding, murder, mayhem, and monstrous creatures. The fall of Starlight Beacon and then the Nameless brought the Jedi to their knees. Then the blight turned entire planets to dust. It’s all connected, and in Trials of the Jedi, it’s up to nine courageous Jedi to bring the Nameless creatures home in hopes of stopping the blight and saving the galaxy. At the same time, millions of people are fleeing the blight — some become refugees, but many more are killed by the Force-eating plague. And on Eriadu, the Republic clashes with the Nihil one last time.

Trials of the Jedi is best enjoyed going in blind, beyond the knowledge of the previous 27 books. It’s the culmination of a decade of work by Lucasfilm Publishing director Mike Siglain, whose idea sparked The High Republic we know and love today, and the 10 authors who brought this era to luminous life.

After more than two dozen books and dozens more comics and short stories, High Republic fans have been clamoring for hints about how it will all end. And, perhaps more importantly, will Trials of the Jedi deliver a moving, action-packed, and satisfying conclusion? As someone who’s been reading and reviewing these books since the beginning, Soule unequivocally stuck the landing.

Each character — all Nine Jedi and many more — gets their moments to shine. Juggling so many characters and making sure each has resonating story beats is a feat of storytelling that Soule excels at in Trials of the Jedi. The fate of the galaxy feels just as important as individual characters’ spiritual journeys and relationships. The way all of their stories end, I believe, will make High Republic fans very happy.

Trials of the Jedi is a masterpiece of Star Wars storytelling. I truly can’t think of a better way to end the series that means so much to me and others around the world.

Five stars doesn’t feel like enough for Trials of the Jedi. The characters, the stories, these books — they mean more to me than I could ever properly put into words.

This book, the High Republic, is something rare. Something special. The High Republic and Star Wars books came to me at a time in my life when I so desperately needed them — I didn’t know it at the time, but these books would change my life. They still are changing my life, providing raw and real and relatable stories that get me through my darkest days. Trials of the Jedi, and The High Republic in general, are about fierce hope and light amid unwavering darkness. These books are about the golden age of the Jedi and how they changed the galaxy — and how the galaxy changed them. They are about the belief in a better world, a brighter galaxy, no matter how unshakeable the darkness feels.

Thank you, Project Luminous.

Thanks to Random House Worlds for the advanced copy of this book for review. This is a spoiler-free review.

This dad read Trials of the Jedi by Charles Soule, the final novel in The High Republic publishing initiative. This highly anticipated entry has been met with both excitement and trepidation by fans who are all too familiar with having their hearts ripped out. I approached the book with a healthy set of expectations; I’ve been let down before, and I really just wanted to enjoy this novel—no matter where the plot went. I’m happy to report that Trials of the Jedi is a triumph. Charles Soule not only lands the plane of this years-long initiative, but does so with a Jedi Master’s skill with the written word.

Soule delivers some of his best writing in Trials. Wrapping up such a large initiative with a huge cast of characters (and some new ones thrown in) is no small feat, let alone doing it in a way that emotionally resonates and stands on its artistic merit. Soule accomplishes this masterfully. Characters’ motivations and intentions are explored deeply. Action scenes are thrilling and intense. The plot drives forward without feeling rushed. Trials of the Jedi gets everything right and is packaged in a way that book lovers—and High Republic fans—will undoubtedly cherish (while simultaneously screaming and crying).

I found the first quarter of the book slightly slower in terms of pacing than I expected. Soule introduces a new family who appears throughout the novel via interludes. At first, I found this confusing, as it seemed to draw attention away from the characters I wanted to see. However, both my pacing and new-character concerns were quelled. From Part 2 onward, Trials picks up steam and never stops (a “Soule-lanche,” if you will—borrowing a term from Brandon Sanderson fans). Additionally, the new characters do more than simply add to the headcount. Soule uses them smartly to show what the state of the galaxy is doing to the everyman and how even they can overcome obstacles like their Jedi counterparts. By the end of the book, I was quite invested in their storyline and appreciated their inclusion.

The question I know will be asked ad infinitum is: does this book wrap everything up well? The answer is obviously subjective, but as a High Republic fan since day one, I can confidently say: a resounding yes. If you’ve been reading everything in Phase III, Trials of the Jedi will land very differently than if you’ve been picking and choosing. If you’re reading this review and haven’t yet read the YA books, the manga series, the Marvel run, and the short stories from Star Wars Insider, I highly recommend doing so before reading Trials. Trials of the Jedi is not—I repeat, not—a standalone book. It’s the culmination of years of hard work by a group of authors, executives, editors, and so many more. It will be more deeply appreciated and felt if all those stories are in your brain beforehand. Go ahead and bookmark this review and come back once you’ve finished your Phase III homework.

That said, the order of publication for Phase III confuses me if Trials of the Jedi is considered the “end.” The High Republic has never shied away from overlapping storylines, and Lucasfilm’s advice has always been to read in publication order for the best experience. I know some people might be waiting to read Justina Ireland’s Acolyte novel Wayseeker, as the fate of one Phase III character is revealed in Trials (though I don’t think it’s a big deal). Also, there are numerous publications released before Trials that mention the Nihil’s Stormwall coming down—which is indeed explained in this book—which is understandably odd. Finally, there are still stories releasing after Trials (Cavan Scott’s Marvel series and Daniel José Older’s Adventures title from Dark Horse being among them) that likely won’t make much of an impact, but I can’t help but wonder if Trials of the Jedi had been the final published piece, how much harder would it have landed?

Trials of the Jedi is now my gold standard for wrapping up a series. What Soule has achieved here is nothing short of brilliant. It’s emotionally resonant, beautifully written, and gives each character their due. It’s definitely the end of the story but as Trials of the Jedi makes clear, The High Republic era of Star Wars has been firmly established, and the Force only knows what will come next. Easiest 🧢🧢🧢🧢🧢/5 of the year.

It seemed like an impossible task, to write a satisfying conclusion to a publishing initiative that has meant so much to so many Star Wars fans. Charles Soule channeled his inner Avar Kriss, listened to the Song of the Force and delivered a gratifying, enjoyable, and what I consider an almost perfect ending which could have gone sideways in numerous ways. It rewarded readers who have invested time and credits since the beginning of The High Republic, but also gave an intriguing story that can be enjoyed by casual readers alike.

The Jedi. The Republic. Marchion Ro. The Nameless. The Nihil. The Blight. The fate of the galaxy will be determined on the Nameless planet and over the skies of Eriadu. Charles Soule brings to an end the saga he kicked off four years ago with Light of the Jedi, the first in what would be an expansive time period known as The High Republic. There is no cure for the Blight. The Jedi know this. Supreme Chancellor Lina Soh is starting to doubt that a solution will present itself in time as more planets succumb to this disease. The Jedi, already short-handed due to The Eye of the Nihil and his Jedi eaters, struggle to keep the Blight from spreading under the Jedi Temple. But as long as the light of the Jedi still shined, there was hope. Inside the Room of a Thousand Fountains, a select group of Jedi met to discuss a mission. Knowing that the Blight was connected to the removal of the Nameless from their home planet by the Nihil, a task was put in place. To return the Nameless creatures the Jedi had captured back to their home, Planet X, in hopes that a solution for the spread of the Blight would present itself.

I do not envy Charles Soule one bit as he had the daunting task of bringing home a publishing initiative that was announced to the public in 2020, known back then as Project Luminous. Which characters to focus on, which storylines to expand, how to satisfy the passionate High Republic legion of fans? The fate of the galaxy would rest on the Nine. A group of Jedi, ex-Jedi, and a fallen one. Jedi Masters Avar Kriss, Elzar Mann, and Arkoff. Knights, Bell Zettifar, Burryaga Agaburry, Reath Silas, and bond-twin Terec. With ex-Jedi turned monster hunter Ty Yorrick and dark side adept Azlin Rell completing the team that would travel to the hidden Planet X. Trapped behind the Stormwall on Eriadu, Joss and Pikka Adren live their new lives. But being trapped doesn't mean helpless as Eriaduan forces and a large contingency of the Republic Defense Coalition (RDC) waited for the moment to strike at the occupying Nihil.

Marchion Ro had already secured his spot in the pantheon of great Star Wars villains, but now he's close to being on Mount Rushmore. He's smart, charming, and knows when to shift his plans. Just when you thought the Jedi might actually save the day when they reached Planet X, Marchion showed up and called out the Jedi by name, even while hiding their appearances under their armor. It wouldn't be the High Republic if we didn't fear losing one of our heroes and the build up to Trials of the Jedi had us all wondering who or how many Jedi we might lose by the end of the book. I've always said that Star Wars is about hope, so not everyone can die, right?

We are all the Republic is not just a rallying cry for the era but a connection between the authors, the cosplayers, and all the fans that have made The High Republic a success. A big thank you to all that have contributed to this new expansion to the Star Wars universe.

For Light and Life!