My Top 4 Star Wars Books

We've all had that moment. We opened up a Star Wars book, visualized the crawl, and fell in love with a story that changed out entire perspective on a character, event, or movie. Whether it be from the additional content like Shadow of the Sith or whether it be an entirely different pros like Stover's Revenge of the Sith it doesn't matter. These are my Top 5 Star Wars books that gave me that feeling.

#1 - Master and Apprentice

Everybody was brought onto Star Wars at a different time and a different age. I was specifically raised on the original trilogy and never actually liked the prequel trilogy until much later in life. Mostly due to books, comics, and shows. Not that that's a bad thing! Claudia Gray came in swinging with my favorite Star Wars book to date. It expanded Qui-Gon in such a fascinating way while also growing Obi-Wan, as well. It wrestles with Rael Aveross, Count Dooku, the inability for the Jedi to listen and other issues. It's the perfect companion piece Post-the High Republic and should be read along Padawan and Brotherhood. Consider it an unofficial trilogy.

#2 - Shadow of the Sith

Star Wars has a tumultuous relationship with planning, concepts, and visions. In every other franchise they'd be called retcons. But not Star Wars. Whether it be the Clone Wars, Rebels, the Bad Batch, the Prequel Trilogy, Rogue One, or Solo, additional expansions to what is known allows creators to make a piece of a puzzle more complete. That is definitely no exception with Shadow of the Sith. Christopher Adam really hit this out of the park. Not only does it flesh out Rey's parents, expand the sequel trilogy, add some dope ass Sith lore that was pulled from Soule's Darth Vader #1-#25, it also expands some locations in Mandalorian. It takes a lot of what is known with the Aftermath Trilogy and pushes it off the clip so as you're walking along the hills of Tython you get smacked with the truth: maybe the post-Return of the Jedi setting has the best storytelling in Star Wars. We're not ready for that conversation yet.

#3 - The Rising Storm

Straight off of the inspiring depression that was Charle Soule's Light of the Jedi, Cavan Scott decided to absolutely obliterate our expectations and elevate our pain threshold for anything else that the High Republic threw at us (or so we thought). This book is 70+ of high paced fury that absolutely does not stop. The High Republic gets knocked down a peg by Marchion Ro and the band of space pirates known as the Nihil and Lourna Dee lays the pipe on one Stellan Gios.

I've read this book four times. I own five copes. Four of which I have never touched. It was my most anticipated novel ever and it delivered. Couple this with Cavan's High Republic mainline comic run and Path of Vengeance which drops May 2nd...You have the best argument for who has impacted the High Republic the most and who has written the best, or the very least, most substantial stories.

#4 - Bloodline

This might technically be #4 but this is probably the novel that substantially put everything post-Return of the Jedi into perspective. It's an era that is run by Emperial Sympathizers who say, "Palpatine was just doing it wrong" and those faithful to the Republic (Mon Mothma) saying, "the war is over". There's one person who is tired of hearing from both: the Huttslayer Leia Organa.

Leia refuses power in this novel. He strides forward. She pushes back on her Rebellion allies. She knows that complacency can lead to an entire generation of Emperials staying alive, surviving, and being reborn. She risks everything...Including her secrets about who her father is and the close partnerships she acquires who betray her trust with the cruelest stroke.

My recommendation? Read E.K. Johnston's Queen Trilogy which is Shadow, Peril, and Hope and then follow up with Gray's Leia: Princess of Alderaan and then Bloodlines. You can really see how Leia is Padme's daughter and how Padme is the daughter of the Republic, Liberty, and Rebellion.