Inti Navia 
Before Rey, before the rise of the empire, before the fall of Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi order thrived. At least… that’s what they thought. “Star Wars: The High Republic” is required reading for any fan of the galaxy far, far away.
The book series is split into three parts: Phase One, Phase Two, and Phase Three. The first book of Phase Three is just around the corner. “The Eye of Darkness” by George Mann comes out November 14th, exploring the Jedi’s impossible battle against the most evil villain “Star Wars” has ever faced.
Here’s how the book series works: the authors, primarily George Mann, Justina Ireland, Charles Soule, Cavan Scott, Daniel José Older, and Claudia Gray, work together to publish adult, YA, and middle grade novels. It’s up to the reader which ones to read, but I’d personally recommend just sticking to the adult novels, if you want the bare minimum story. The story progresses with each book, exploring different Jedi across the galaxy.
These books have gotten critical acclaim for having a heavy focus on LGBTQ+ and POC characters, like Bell Zettifar, Lula Talisola, Cohmac Vitus, Keeve Trennis, and many more.
In fact, the first ever content from Phase Three has already come out, in the form of a comic. “Shadows of Starlight #1”. It follows a certain familiar character called Yoda, who has a plan to save the galaxy, but has to touch the dark side of the force to do it. If you’re a comic book fan, keep an eye out for the second issue, coming November 8th.
This book series has some of the best “Star Wars” content in years. I was blown away by the story of the Jedi not even battling other people who can use the force, but just seemingly simple raiders called the Nihil. Every book has you dying to find out what happens next, and this month we’re finally getting our answers.
There are dozens of these novels, comics, and audio books out already, and it can be a little overwhelming for new readers. Here’s the essential “High Republic” reading guide: of Phase One, you should read “Light of the Jedi” by Charles Soule, “The Rising Storm” by Cavan Scott, and “The Fallen Star” by Claudia Gray, in that order.
Phase Two takes place before the events of Phase One, so if you’re just looking for the bare essentials, you can skip it entirely, but it does provide a lot of lore and context to the main story. Of Phase Two, you should read “Convergence” by Zoraida Córdova and “Cataclysm” by Lydia Kang.
The list might seem like a lot, but the fast-paced, action-packed stories will make you breeze through these books with no problem.
Are you a fan of “The High Republic”? Are you hoping to get into it? Let me know!
By Inti Navia, Freshman, Columbia College Chicago
All Platforms: @intinavia
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