Reviews

A Test of Courage by Justina Ireland

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morgcxn's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted tense medium-paced

4.0

Content Warnings

cloneknight's review against another edition

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4.0

"A Test of Courage" is the second book in The High Republic setting I have read. "Light of the Jedi" was simply phenomenal, a great breath of fresh air in the franchise and a stellar introduction to the rest of this publishing adventure. With this entry in the series, Justina Ireland made a greatly entertaining YA novel that manages to carry the vibe of this era greatly, while also being very true to the universe it takes place in.

We're introduced to a few new characters, of whom most were very intriguing. I didn't love all of them equally, which was a slight bummer because most of these characters were very compelling and interesting. I felt like Honesty was a little too similar to Imri. While both experienced grief and dealt with it very differently, I felt like Honesty never really developed all that much, which was a shame. Vernestra, Avon and J-6 were also very welcome inclusions to the franchise and I hope to see more of them at some point.

The last thing I'd like to mention is that I found the pacing in this book a bit off. The beginning and middle are quite lengthy and take their time exploring the characters, so it came as a surprise to see one of the biggest problems of the book being solved in the span of a few sentences. It's not unsatisfying per se, it just felt like the ending could have used a bit more time and fleshing out.

Overall, A Test of Courage is a very fun read that expands on the universe we've been introduced to earlier. I can't wait to read more!

big_lew's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

matt_worthen's review

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This is a middle grade novel, and it’s in that context that I write this review. Coming off of reading Light of the Jedi, I really enjoyed Ireland’s novel. The story is simple—even predictable in some aspects—but it’s a fun adventure that advances the overall High Republic universe storyline while giving us some great character development. If you’re invested in the High Republic story line I recommend not skipping over this story. While it might not be absolutely essential to the overall story, the little glimpse it offers into the SW High Republic universe is enjoyable and immersive.

cth123's review

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emotional

4.0

magically_blonde's review against another edition

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4.0

A fun adventure story to introduce us to more High Republic characters. Definitely less exciting and less sophisticated vocab/storyline than the other High Republic books so far, so you’re aware of the target audience difference. Overall, excited to see where they take these characters in the rest of the era!