2021 Star Wars Novels Roundup

This year may not have lived up to the expectations many of us put on it in 2020 but there’s one sector of pop culture that, for me at least, shone as bright as a lightsaber’s glow: 2021 Star Wars novels. We’ve been introduced (and bid farewell) to new characters in The High Republic, revisited old friends thanks to The Essential Legends Collection and said goodbye to two original trilogies. The folks at Disney and Lucasfilm have been gifting Star Wars readers the entire year, and here are my thoughts on a year gone by.

Highlight: The High Republic

No creative endeavor in recent pop culture memory has been able to pull off what Disney/Lucasfilm Publishing did with The High Republic in 2021. Taking arguably the most beloved franchise ever and creating something entirely new was one thing. Deciding that it was a publishing initiative including multiple publishers and authors, spanning all types of media from novels to comic books, absolute insanity! It’s been a great time and has injected new energy into a franchise 40+ years old. Standouts for me include Charles Soule’s introduction to everything, Light of the Jedi published in January and June’s The Rising Storm by Cavan Scott. Granted these were the only two adult novels published this year but they stood out because of their quality writing, character arcs and brutal plotlines. All The High Republic authors, including Charles Soule, Cavan Scott, Claudia Gray, Daniel José Older, and Justina Ireland, are immensely talented storytellers and have introduced characters and storylines that will undoubtedly live on for decades to come.

Surprise: The Essential Legends Collection

Earlier in the year, seemingly out of nowhere, Del Rey announced The Essential Legends Collection, new paperback versions of Star Wars Legends novels that, while no longer canon, still remain stories that fans have loved and continue to discover (the addition of beautiful new cover art also didn’t hurt). I had not yet dipped my toe into Legends novels so this provided me a great opportunity to jump in. While I knew these books were classics for a reason, I was surprised how much I enjoyed them. A particular standout for me was Drew Karpyshyn’s Path of Destruction, book 1 in his Darth Bane trilogy; I was utterly captivated by the twisted tale of how a dark lord was born. Here’s to more The Essential Legends Collection releases next year!

Highlight: The Alphabet Squadron Conclusion

Alexander Freed’s finale to the Alphabet Squadron trilogy, Victory’s Price, was in a word: astounding. I was a casual fan after the first two books, 2019’s Alphabet Squadron and 2020’s Shadow Fall, but for some reason book 3 grabbed me from the start and never let go. Freed has accomplished a Hutt-sized feat of creating characters that readers can’t help but fall in love with, faults and all. I would dare say that Yrica Quell, Wyl Lark, Chass na Chadic, and Nath Tensent are as fleshed out and beloved as Luke, Leia, and Han.

Surprise: Ronin: A Visions Novel

Star Wars: Visions, the anime anthology series on Disney+, opened the Star Wars universe in new and thrilling ways. On the heels of the series being announced, an original novel continuing the story of The Duel, Ronin: A Visions Novel by first-time author Emma Mieko Candon, was published, allowing fans to dive even deeper into the samurai-inspired character. While the novel being published was surprising in and of itself, what was surprising to me was that it did not live up to my expectations. Author Emma Mieko Candon’s style is very specific and nuanced in a way that I found difficult to connect with. Maybe it was a case of too much too soon and, while I applaud Disney/Lucasfilm taking a creative risk (especially in the wild world of publishing), for me this one just didn’t pay off.

Highlight: Thrawn

2021 was definitely the year of Grand Admiral Thrawn. From his name drop in The Mandalorian in late 2020 to his multiple appearances in novels in 2021, the blue-skinned baddie’s popularity seems to be reaching a fever pitch. Author Timothy Zahn deserves the credit for leading the charge with the Thrawn love as his original three Thrawn trilogy novels were republished (thanks again The Essential Legends Collection) and the final two books of his Ascendancy trilogy, Greater Good and Lesser Evil were also released. It’s pretty much confirmed that we will be seeing Thrawn in live action within the next year or so and while that’s amazing in and of itself, I think it’s just so cool that this character has basically lived and thrived almost solely based on books. I just couldn’t let the calendar flip over to the new year without acknowledging how much a treat it’s been to receive so much Thrawn book content this year.

I hope 2021 brought you some joy in the form of a Star Wars novel. Whether it was your first time diving in or you’ve been anxiously grabbing each new release, I hope you’ve enjoyed your time in a galaxy far, far away. I for one cannot wait to see what’s in store next year.

How about you? What have your highlights and surprises from 2021 Star Wars novels been? What books are you most looking forward to in 2022? Follow Tatooine Times on social media so we can keep the conversation going!