u/axefaktor

I just finished this one. I went in skeptical, because typically, I find short stories end up feeling inconsequential in Star Wars, and it just isn’t usually my jam.

This really surprised me. I didn’t love all of them, but a few of them clicked for me in ways I didn’t expect.

I’m attempting a full reading order for THR. All comics, books, manga, Junior novels, everything. And I’ll be honest with you, sometimes it’s a little overwhelming. Occasionally, characters blur together for me, and or I’ll forget whether it was Bell Zettifar or Reath Silas or Imri Cantaros involved in this event or that battle, etc.

This book gave me clean perspective on some characters who, previously, I’d not really connected with.

I hated Marda Ro during Phase II. I found her unrelatable, idiotic and insufferable. The first person story in Tales gave me fresh perspective.

I never felt much of anything about Bell. Just sort of a nondescript goober padawan. Until I read his short story in this about rescuing Buryagga.

The Ram Jomaram story was adorable. Rooper Nitani’s knighting was a nice Phase II coda. Keeve’s
story was the kind of inspirational Jedi tale that makes you feel good, and the Call of Coruscant was sort of a fun coming of age romp to wrap it all up.

Unfortunately, nothing will ever make me want to read about Axel Greylark.

I’m not quite ready to read them yet, so they’re going to just be admired on a shelf for a while, but I couldn’t pass up the full hardcover trilogy for cheap

https://screenrant.com/marvel-unlimited-comics-missing-red-band-max-parental-controls/

They do not care about this app or their digital presence at all, and it's embarrassing.

Spoilers, obviously, so if you are like me and still catching up with THR years later, use caution.

Claudia knew what she was doing to us with this one. >!I always assumed Starlight was doomed. That's not the shock. But my two favorite characters from this phase took just devastating blows here. Stellan is dead?! I definitely wasn't prepared for this. I just assumed the golden trio were all surviving into Phase III. Maybe that was naive, but even if I was picking one of them to eat it in Phase I, it would have been Elzar, not Stellan.!<

>!And speaking of Elzar ... my boy is not doing well. Elzar is my overall favorite character across both Phases II and I so far (I read in chronological order, not release order). All the hope I had for his turnaround this book seems completely reset, but I guess he could still climb back. My sense is that he's still destined for a redemption arc here, despite the fake out. But it could really go either way at this point, especially once Avar finds out what he did.!<

Anyway, Happy May the 4th, gang! This is my ninth Star Wars novel finished in 2026, 12th if you count graphic novels and all but two of that count are from the High Republic.

EDIT: Spoiler tag added