2022 Star Wars Novels Roundup

The High Republic has consistently been delivering. Wave 3 of Phase I kicked off early in the year with The Fallen Star by Claudia Gray, Mission to Disaster by Justina Ireland and Midnight Horizon by Daniel José Older. This trio of offerings, as we’ve come to expect from The High Republic, hit on all types of reading audiences, middle grade, YA, and adult. This wave of novels had a bit of something for everyone whether it be adventure, romance, or emotional gut punches. What came as a surprise was the timeline switch up that was introduced in The High Republic Phase II which launched in the Fall. Change is a good word for this new phase, as YA novel Path of Deceit, by Justina Ireland and Tessa Gratton, was the first book released instead of an adult novel, and new authors joined the initiative. George Mann’s middle grade book Quest for the Hidden City was next, followed by Zoraida Córdova’s Convergence. These novels, with their pretty blue covers and spines, surprised and delighted readers by focusing less on the Jedi and more on everyday folks like explorers, prospectors and cult members (Mardo Ro, I love you!).

A number of standalone novels were also released in 2022 which jumped around the timeline and told stories of love, loss, and discovery. For fans of the prequel era Queen’s Hope by E. K. Johnston and Brotherhood by Mike Chen brought Padmé, Anakin and Obi-Wan back into our lives. Johnston’s book gave a satisfying conclusion to her Queen’s Trilogy, while Chen’s Brotherhood shed light on just what that business on Cato Neimoidia looked like. Adam Christopher delivered his first Star Wars novel in June with the release of Shadow of the Sith, the longest of any book released in 2022 clocking in at just under 500 pages. Christopher pulled back the curtain on events of the sequel trilogy, delving into the pasts of Rey and Ochi of Bestoon while Lando Calrissian and Luke Skywalker teamed up against a dark side assassin. Another debut Star Wars novelist, Kiersten White, brought Padawan which featured a teenage Obi-Wan Kenobi on a mission on a mysterious planet which forced him to take a good hard look at his life choices. And August’s The Princess and the Scoundrel, by Beth Revis, gave us the story of Han and Leia’s honeymoon that we never knew we needed. Its mixture of dead-on characterizations and adventure made it more than just a theme park tie-in, it became the new gold standard for the romance genre in Star Wars canon. I think 2022 will go down as one of the most interesting and fun years of standalone Star Wars novels ever. Kudos to the authors, executives, and creative teams that brought this beautifully eclectic group of books into our lives this year.

For art book lovers, 2022 was a standout year with the release of three books spanning live action, animation, and publishing. The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian (Season Two) was released in February by Abrams, offering a backstage pass to the development and creation of the Disney+ series. The Art of Star Wars: Visions was released by Dark Horse in November allowing the creatives from the anime anthology series to share their visions (pun intended) of how their animated shorts came to fruition. Also released in November was Kristin Baver’s The Art of Star Wars: The High Republic (Volume I) which served as both a historical and artistic retrospective on the creation of the publishing initiative. All of these books are filled with gorgeous sketches, paintings, storyboards, and concept art and represent how vast and varied the Star Wars universe is. Plus, hearing directly from the creators gives readers the chance to dive even deeper into the process of these beloved properties.

Continuing to thrill longtime fans of Legends stories and introducing first time readers to a wide range of books was The Essential Legends Collection. Nowhere else in 2022 publishing were the books as vast in scope as they were in these oversized paperback editions. We got offerings from The Old Republic to the prequel era to The New Republic. There were Darths all over the place (Plagueis, Malgus, Maul, Bane) as well as friendly faces like Obi-Wan and Wedge Antilles. Plus, the genres represented (horror, action, thriller, mystery) really provided something for everyone. Each book’s updated cover art displayed the talent and creativity of numerous artists, and upgraded the looks of bookshelves everywhere. Plus, a number of releases received brand new unabridged audiobooks, further proof that Lucasfilm and Del Rey are committed to re-telling these Star Wars stories of old, and at least for now, there’s no end in sight.

For decades, the Star Wars publishing universe has been a place where fans of all ages and tastes have been able to dive deeper into worlds and characters they love. 2022 was a year that added more to the list of books that fans will savor for years to come. Here’s to a year gone by in Star Wars publishing and what’s to come next year!