Scan barcode
jenny_librarian's review
adventurous
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Oh that was good! I admit, I didn't understand at first how phase 2 could be set 50 or so years before phase 1, but this book makes it clear early on how both periods are connected. And this phase doesn't pull any punches either, so no Jedi you might find yourself sympathetic to is safe.
I didn't love being reminded that Yana and Marda are Evereni every other page, but the racism underlying the discourse around them is a pretty good analogy for our world.
I didn't love being reminded that Yana and Marda are Evereni every other page, but the racism underlying the discourse around them is a pretty good analogy for our world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Religious bigotry, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Racism, Terminal illness, and Gaslighting
Minor: Abandonment, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
samagader35's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
By far the best High Republic that I've read so far (I'm working my way through phase ii to go chronologically, which I know isn't a favorite choice, but here we are.)
We all know the Jedi can be a touch culty with their beliefs, but this book gave us a full blown run, get out, none of that makes sense when you say it out loud type of cult. Path of the Open Hand. Even the name - come on.
Without spoiling this one, it def got darker than I expected, but overall I didn't want to stop listening so I could find out what was going to happen!
We all know the Jedi can be a touch culty with their beliefs, but this book gave us a full blown run, get out, none of that makes sense when you say it out loud type of cult. Path of the Open Hand. Even the name - come on.
Without spoiling this one, it def got darker than I expected, but overall I didn't want to stop listening so I could find out what was going to happen!
Content Warnings
Minor: Death
whocop's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
abigail_reads06's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The writing in this book is amazing! This is probably one of my favorite High Republic books except for maybe The Fallen Star. The only thing I wish was different was that it was longer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Religious bigotry, and Body horror
Moderate: Death of parent and Slavery
billyjepma's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
There’s some compelling stuff here, backed up by solid characterizations that feel authentic despite the YA cliches they also embody. The writing is also good, and the primary protagonists all have unique voices and perspectives I mostly enjoyed, even if the cultist angle the story takes is one I’m not usually fond of. But the final stretch left me feeling like I just spent 300+ pages reading something meant to support another story instead of operating on its own terms. A lot of shocking things happen in the final chapters, and I honestly admire how grim a few of its twists were. The sudden twists gave the plot the momentum it had lacked previously, but the way key characters reacted was jarring for me. It’s like the whole book was going in one direction just to pivot the other way in the final pages. We’ll see if the follow-up books fill in some of the gaps for me, but right now, my feelings are mixed.
Part of my mixed reaction is probably due to my continued apprehension about the prequel approach that this phase of The High Republic has adopted. It seems driven by plot, not character, which is rarely something that works for me in the ways I want. And, so far, my early forays into this phase have left me intellectually interested but emotionally cold. My investment isn’t there yet, and it really should be. I’m obviously going to keep going because I’m in too deep to do anything else, but whatever comes next will need to do some heavy lifting if they want to get anywhere close to where the first phase of THR was.
Part of my mixed reaction is probably due to my continued apprehension about the prequel approach that this phase of The High Republic has adopted. It seems driven by plot, not character, which is rarely something that works for me in the ways I want. And, so far, my early forays into this phase have left me intellectually interested but emotionally cold. My investment isn’t there yet, and it really should be. I’m obviously going to keep going because I’m in too deep to do anything else, but whatever comes next will need to do some heavy lifting if they want to get anywhere close to where the first phase of THR was.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Body horror
Minor: Blood
thebookbin's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I was extremely excited for the next installment of the High Republic. Leaving things from phase one on a cliffhanger was a... choice but I was excited to get to know and love some new characters.
That didn't happen. The book focuses solely on the villains arc to becoming the villain. Every character you could possibly want to get to know dies. The entire point of the story is reading about a cult. Marda subscribes fully to the cult, where her cousin Yana is a skeptic. Even when she's confronted with a brutal truth, she stays willfully ignorant. And yes, I get the whole terrifying thing about cults is how they can manipulate minds, but I guess I'll just say I wasn't convinced.
Marda and Kevmo's budding romance was cute and sweet at first but then started moving so fast. Both of them grew up in cultures that have very specific ideas about their futures, and their rejection of that didn't feel like a whirlwind teenage romance, but more of an insta-love scenario that had me rolling my eyes.
I was so excited for this one because Tessa Gratton is one of my all-time favorite authors, but this story was a let-down. I almost feel like it was non-essential. Sure, it gave a backstory to where Marchion Ro's lightsaber came from, but other than that it's basically just an extremely long-winded explanation of the villains' motivations.
That didn't happen. The book focuses solely on the villains arc to becoming the villain.
Marda and Kevmo's budding romance was cute and sweet at first but then started moving so fast. Both of them grew up in cultures that have very specific ideas about their futures, and their rejection of that didn't feel like a whirlwind teenage romance, but more of an insta-love scenario that had me rolling my eyes.
I was so excited for this one because Tessa Gratton is one of my all-time favorite authors, but this story was a let-down. I almost feel like it was non-essential. Sure, it gave a backstory to where Marchion Ro's lightsaber came from, but other than that it's basically just an extremely long-winded explanation of the villains' motivations.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
More...