The High Republic era of Star Wars is fascinating since it depicts a golden age of peace, long before the events of The Skywalker Saga that would see the Jedi culled and the galaxy dragged into seemingly never-ending war. And yet it faced its own hardships and galaxy threatening perils never been before in other Star Wars media. There are numerous novels that tell stories set during the 500 or so years the High Repulic era lasted for, and we’re here to help break down how you can read all of them and in the correct order.
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For context, the High Republic era is divided across three phases, with each one set during a specific period of time: Light of the Jedi, Quest of the Jedi, and Trials of the Jedi. Each phase isn’t wholly comprised of books (there are comics and audio dramas too), but we will be focusing on the novels.
Phase 1: Light of the Jedi
Light of the Jedi ran from January 2021 to March 2022, and consists of two separate trilogies (one for adults and another for young adults), as well as a collection of short stories and a series of novels for children. There are a couple of books for very young children, but we’ll be leaving those ones out since they’re simple adaptations of two of the novels. Here is the recommended reading order:
- Starlight Stories (released December 6, 2022)—A collection of short stories originally published in Star Wars Insider throughout 2020 and 2021. Titan Comics has a list of retailers you can purchase this from. Be aware that the two-part story Go Together serves as a prologue and epilogue to the novel Light of the Jedi.
- Light of the Jedi (released January 5, 2021)—The first in a trilogy of adult novels, this tells of the Great Disaster, an incident that involves a ship being destroyed while in hyperspace, which threatens to destroy a whole system. Disney sells it physically and digitally.
- The Rising Storm (released June 29, 2021)—The sequel to Light of the Jedi, this covers the aftermath of the Great Disaster, which sees a Republic Fair attacked by the anarchic, viking-like Nihil. This book is sold at Penguin Random House and other such retailers.
- Race to Crashpoint Tower (released June 29, 2021)—Set during the events of The Rising Storm, young Padawan Ram Jomaram must make his way to the titular tower to warn the Jedi of the Nihil’s attack. Keep in mind this one’s written for 8 to 12-year-olds. It’s available via Disney.
- The Fallen Star (released January 4, 2022)—The sequel to The Rising Storm and final entry in the adult novel trilogy, it sees the Nihil launch a strategy to wipe out the Jedi for good by destroying the Starlight Beacon, which is housing survivors and refugees of the Nihil’s previous attacks. It’s being sold at Penguin Random House and other such retailers.
- Into the Dark (released February 2, 2021)—The first entry in a trilogy of books for young adults, it follows Padawan Reath Silas as he finds himself stranded on a mysterious and abandoned space station. Chronologically, this takes place before The Rising Storm. You can buy it via Disney.
- A Test of Courage (released January 5, 2021)—A standalone story about a group of teens, including the newly minted Jedi Vernestra Rwoh, getting stranded on a jungle moon and working together to survive. Another book written for kids, it’s available via Disney. Like Into the Dark, this is set before The Rising Storm.
- Out of the Shadows (released July 27, 2021)—A follow-up to Into the Dark, this sees the return of Reath Silas as well as Vernestra Rwoh from A Test of Courage. It also features a new protagonist, Sylvestri Yarrow, who gets dragged into a political squabble while trying to save her late mother’s cargo business. It’s available via Disney and is set in-between The Rising Storm and The Fallen Star.
- Mission to Disaster (released January 4, 2022)—The last kids book on the list, this one is set after Out of the Shadows and once again focuses on Vernestra Rwoh as she and her Padawan rescue a friend of theirs from the Nihil. You can buy it via Disney.
- Midnight Horizon (released February 2, 2022)—Continuing on from Out of the Shadows, this not only brings back Reath Silas but also Ram Jomaram from Race to Crashpoint Tower. Together, the two investigate a suspected Nihil attack on the planet of Corellia. This is also set after the events of The Fallen Star, and can be bought via Disney.
Phase 2: Quest of the Jedi
Quest of the Jedi ran from October 2022 to May 2023, and includes six novels and multiple short stories. This phase is actually set 150 years before the events of Phase 1, so you could start here if you wanted to. Here is the recommended reading order:
- Quest for the Hidden City (released November 1, 2022)—This novel for kids sees Jedi Knight Silandra Sho and her apprentice Rooper Nitani searching for a team of missing explorers on a ravaged planet said to be haunted by mythical monsters. It’s available via Disney.
- Convergence (released November 22, 2022)—The first of two adult novels, Jedi Knight Gella Nattai investigates an assassination attempt to stop two planets from going to war. However, she has to team up with Republic representative Axel Greylark, who has a strong displeasure for Jedi. This book is being sold by Penguin Random House and other such retailers.
- Path of Deceit (released October 4, 2022)—This young adult novel centers on Marda Ro, a devout member of the Path of the Open Hand, a missionary group that believes no one, not even the Jedi, should be allowed to wield the powers of the Force. When Marda meets a kindly Jedi Padawan named Kevmo Zink, she hopes to convince him of her beliefs. It’s available via Disney.
- Cataclysm (released April 4, 2023)—The direct sequel to Convergence, war is about to break out between the twin planets of Eiram and E’ronoh again, but there’s evidence to suggest the Path of the Open Hand is orchestrating the conflict. Both Gella Matai and Axel Greylark return for this, and it’s available via Penguin Random House and other such retailers.
- Path of Vengeance (released May 2, 2023)—Set during the events of Cataclysm, this story is also a follow-up to Path of Deceit. Marda Ro returns as she joins an expedition to the mysterious Planet X, while her cousin Yana teams up with her dead lover’s father to wrest control of the Path of the Open Hand from its leader, the Mother. This book is available via Disney.
- Quest for Planet X (released April 4, 2023)—The second kids book sees Dass Leffbruk and Rooper Nitani (from Quest for the Hidden City), alongside new character Sky Graf, team up to locate Planet X. However, their mission results in them crossing paths with the Path of the Open Hand. It’s available via Disney.
- Tales of Enlightenment (released March 19, 2024)—An anthology of short stories centered around a bar called Enlightenment. It is available via Penguin Random House and other such retailers.
Phase 3: Trials of the Jedi
Trials of the Jedi picks up after the events of Phase 1 and is currently still ongoing, since it began in September 2023 and is expected to conclude in 2025. So, this list of novels will likely need to be updated once the phase ends, and we have a better understanding of the chronology of it. For now, here is the recommended reading order:
- Tales of Light & Life (released September 5, 2023)—Another anthology of short stories, this is to help bridge the gap between Phase 1 and Phase 3 of the High Republic era, resolving some unexplained mysteries and sowing the seeds for future stories. It’s available via Disney, but there’s a Barnes and Noble exclusive version that has a unique cover.
- Escape from Valo (released January 30, 2024)—Padawan Ram Jomaram returns for a new adventure; one where he must help his people and a trio of young Jedi escape his home planet, which is under occupation by the Nihil. This is another story aimed at kids, and is available via Penguin Random House and other such retailers.
- Eye of Darkness (released November 14, 2023)—The first of Phase 3’s adult novels, this story takes place one year after The Fallen Star. The Nihil have built a barrier around the Outer Rim called the Stormwall; one that has left Jedi and entire planets trapped behind it while those outside attempt to breach the barrier. It’s available via Penguin Random House and other such retailers.
- Defy the Storm (released March 5, 2024)—Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh takes center stage once again as she heads into Nihil territory in search of her missing Padawan. But her mission will bring her face to face with deadly creatures known as the Nameless. It’s available via Penguin Random House and other such retailers.
- Temptation of the Force (released June 11, 2024)—The sequel to Eye of Darkness sees several Jedi from previous books team up as they hunt down main villain Marchion Ro. Although this book hasn’t come out yet, we know it also takes place after Defy the Storm. You can pre-order it via Penguin Random House and various other retailers.
- Beware the Nameless (released August 27, 2024)—A follow-up to Escape from Valo, this junior novel will focus on a group of Jedi-in-training, alongside Ram Jomaram, as they try to overcome their fears and fight back against the Nameless. Pre-orders are not yet available.
- Tears of the Nameless (released September 24, 2024)—Another Nameless heavy novel, returning favourite Reath Silas and Padawan Amadeo Azzazzo embark on their own mission to learn more about the eponymous creatures. Pre-orders are not yet available.
- Trials of the Jedi (released spring 2025)—The final adult novel in the entire saga, there’s currently no plot information regarding this book. It also lacks an exact release date, and is unavailable for pre-order.
- Into the Light (released spring 2025)—No details have been shared on this book aside from a spring 2025 release window, and that it will be the third and final young adult novel in Phase 3. Pre-orders are not yet available.
- A Valiant Vow (released spring 2025)—As you can probably guess, no real information has been shared on this book either. All we know is that it will be the last junior novel for kids. Pre-orders are not yet available.
