The High Republic: Mission to Disaster - Book Review

The middle grade books for The High Republic have so far been a fun and lightheaded way to dive into the all-new era of Star Wars storytelling—with solid character development and great tie-ins to the other novels and comics from different age groups. Starting with A Test of Courage, Justina Ireland introduced the young readers to inspiring, new characters such as the brave Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh and her padawan Imri Cantaros, along with tech savvy Avon Starros and her protocol droid J-6—all returning to the author’s last book for Phase I, Mission to Disaster.

Unlike A Test of Courage and Race to Crashpoint Tower (set during the Great Disaster and the attack on Valo), Mission to Disaster is a prequel to the main novel for Wave 3, The Fallen Star. The book is split between two storylines—one with Vernestra and Imri dealing with some mysterious kidnappings on the planet Dalna and the other with Avon Starros held captive by the Nihil themselves. They eventually come together as Vernestra and Imri’s main objective is to save their friend Avon, with surprising twists and turns that make the story all the more entertaining. Compared to previous installments, Ireland’s latest The High Republic book takes less character development leaps in favor of a more story-driven approach, which is not surprising since Vernestra, Imri, and Avon have had plenty in A Test of Courage and Out of the Shadows.

Mission to Disaster also introduced the young readers to new characters on both sides of the conflict: on the Jedi side, Nyla Quinn, Yacek Sparkburn and Lyssa Votz and on the Nihil side Dr. Mkampa (and Deva Lompop, if you count it as a chronological appearance). The latter really shines in terms of personality and characteristics—her enhanced cybernetics and especially her mentorship role for Avon, probably the most intriguing aspect of the story.

Once again, Mission to Disaster features cover and inner artwork by Icelandic artist Petur Antonnson—each art piece truly brings the crucial moments from the story to life with amazing character and environment representations, all topped with stunning colors.

As a middle grade reader, Mission to Disaster is yet another great way to enjoy the amazing storytelling of The High Republic, but adult readers should not skip this book as it’s an essential tale that beautifully ties to the rest of the all-new era of Star Wars. Make sure to grab your copy today and let us know your thoughts on our social media channels.