The world has changed! Star Wars: The Acolyte has introduced scores of new eyes to the High Republic. It is rumored that the series won’t be coming back for a season 2, largely due to honestly toxic Star Wars culture and not due to story pacing or plot concerns. We’ve now seen Vernestra Rwoh in the flesh, and even rightfully I will argue been too obsessed with birthdays. So it’s a perfect time to jump back into the High Republic Between Books, and maybe even reflect on if the High Republic show changes my thoughts on the literature.
Star Wars: The High Republic Temptation of the Force by Tessa Gratton continues the epic space battle (or star war) between the Republic and the Jedi versus warlord Marchion Ro and his Nihil forces. Much of the focus of the book is Jedi Masters Avar Kriss and Elzar Mann as they seek a way to save those trapped within the Occlusion Zone ruled by the Nihil. They seek to combine technology and the Force to better understand hyperspace and how they can free the captive. Meanwhile, a new blight is visiting planets and leaving death in its wake. Marchion Ro and Jedi Knights Bell Zettifar and Burryaga seek to understand the relationship the blight has with the Force, the Jedi killing Nameless, and another almost forgotten adversary. Also, Jedi Master Porter Engle focuses on his own mission of…revenge? All of these events move forward to a stopping point that allows us to face all these problems in a future book.
First and foremost, some of these books have just exhausted me. Out of all of the High Republic books this has likely been my favorite. We have spent enough time with Avar, Elzar, Marchion Ro, and the rest of the supporting cast that we have enough knowledge to follow along with them and have some investment. I just had the feeling that this is a story that is pushing forward to conclusion. But there are so many elements that I feel many of them take from the rest of the story. This is a story laid out by a committee! I wonder if Gratton had permission to just create an Avar and Elzar story if it may have had better pacing and been a little more satisfying. We’ve seen so many characters culled from the story since Light of the Jedi, that I really wonder if less is showing to be more.
It does feel like there is so much story to serve. I thought Gratton had us on a path to a conclusion for the whole arc. But she’s not able to get there due to all of the elements. Those elements include an adversary that was introduced in the first phase of the project and then largely disappeared. Also, in this book, we begin to see the pay off to why the time jump backward was written. But even then, I don’t find that connection to matter much to me. Honestly, I think Marchion Ro is a really villainous villain. What I would like to see happening is the Jedi focussing on fighting him. I also could use a little more time with him and less with his subordinates. If we were given a High Republic arc that was basic Marchion Ro is bad, Jedi are good, Jedi need to stop him… we could have a pretty fun adventure. George Lucas is famous for “faster, more intense” and this principle could have helped the whole High Republic instead of building a lot of lore and worlds. Just give us Jedi are good, villains are bad, let's throw them against each other. I often tried to read this book in that light, which helped me as the pace seemed to slightly build up.
Gratton does give us a piece that I really enjoyed, Jedi in love! We have seen many times how love is seen by Jedi as a road to attachment. Avar and Elzar have a strong, long-standing relationship that is really complicated among the Jedi. This gives them moments to discuss love, and if it is a road to the Dark Side. They, for the first time, discuss how love can be freeing, love can be a road to the Light Side, and it does not need to be a prison. I’d agrue that Kanan Jarrus was the best of all Jedi, and he pushed into love. I appreciate that Gratton’s view of love aligns better with what I think many of us feel than the horrible tragic quality many other Star Wars books treat love as being. I love, it makes me better! It seems a few Jedi may actually agree.
So, I’ve seen Star Wars: The Acolyte which for this book likely mostly impacts my take on Vern. Vern is older, much older, and a little more cynical and political as a leader among the Jedi. So while Vern bounces around the sides of this story, I do see her less youthful and more hard-edged. I’m judging her for some of the opinions she’s expressing in glances. I think the writers would prefer I see these moments as how she got to that point on the show. But…due to recency bias, she’s already changed on the page.
Yoda appears in a fancy robe! I mean, Yoda is sprinkled lightly into the story.
Star Wars: The High Republic Temptation of the Force by Tessa Gratton is a fast-paced mostly adventure novel that moves quickly to the conclusion of this battle. The best portions of the story focus on Jedi seeking to defeat the villain. But sadly, the weight of the entire High Republic and the lore has slowed the pace. And overall, for a Star Wars project that I have been somewhat critical of…for story reasons…Temptation of the Force is likely my favorite offering yet. There is a nice little adventure in here.
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